Real vs. Fake Sea and Beach Glass
By César Williams-Padín
Real sea glass.
Buying sea and beach glass sight unseen is a risky prospect, but there are a few ways to evaluate online sellers. If you purchase sea or beach glass online, take some time to search the vendor using the following tips.
Real sea glass.
Fake sea glass.
Choose the right seller
Read the profile of the seller to learn more about their sea and beach glass. Sellers sometimes disclose in their listings whether the glass is authentic or fake. Some sellers are part of organizations or social media groups where only authentic and genuine sea and beach glass is accepted. For example, International Sea Glass Association (ISGA) members pledge to use only genuine, unaltered sea or beach glass, so you know their glass for sale is real.
Look for terms like these in the seller’s descriptions: Unique lot with real sea-tumbled glass, Authentic sea glass, This sea glass has been carefully collected and sorted, and Material: genuine sea glass. Since most sea glass collectors pick up all kinds of items on the beach, try to find sellers with a variety of glass items for sale. Look for listings with multiple photos of each item so that you can determine if the glass is real or not.
Reviews
Take some time to read the reviews that other buyers have left and see if you have a connection with any of the buyers on social media. Some artists, jewelers, or beach glass collectors and enthusiasts who also purchase sea and beach glass online may leave helpful reviews.
Other buyers may use the glass they purchase online for decoration or crafts and are not interested in the history or provenance of the sea and beach glass they purchase. When they leave their reviews, they likely don’t mention anything about its authenticity.
Places known for having real sea and beach glass (Kirsti Scott).
Location
If the seller lists the location where their glass was found, search online to ensure the area is known for beach glass. There are many locations known for sea and beach glass: Port Townsend, Washington; Fort Bragg, California; Davenport, California; the Great Lakes; Nova Scotia; Puerto Rico; Iceland; Scotland; Seaham, England; Barcelona; Italy; Greece; Türkiye and the Black Sea; Guangzhou, China; Japan; Vladivostok and the Sea of Japan; and Australia.
Pricing
Assess the price critically. If the price seems unusually low for rare beach glass, it is a sign that the glass is not genuine sea glass.
Item description
Be wary of items described with terms like Crystal Pebbles, Vase Fillers, Decorative, Crushed, Stones, Handcrafted, Chunky, Dyed, Sea Glass Rocks, Cultured, Man-made, Recycled, Manufactured, Sand Blasted, and other phrases that do not indicate authenticity.
Look for terms like: Authentic, Genuine, Surf Tumbled, or Handpicked to increase the likelihood of purchasing real sea and beach glass. Read the entire online description, as sellers sometimes include the fact that the glass is man-made only at the very end.
Fake, Artificial, man-made Sea and Beach Glass
- A satiny smooth surface, without C-shaped marks, embossed shapes, or other distinguishing features.
- Sharp or angular edges or chunky shapes.
- A uniform texture and uniform square, oval, or triangle shapes.
Genuine, Authentic, Real Sea and Beach Glass
- Lettering, embossed images, and distinguishing features such as handles, bottle necks, stoppers, bottle bottoms, etc.
- A frosted patina on the surface with small C-shaped patterns, surface cracking, rounded edges, and small crevices.
When in doubt, feel free to contact me or another ISGA Professional Member listed on www.seaglassassociation.org.
This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 44 September/October 2024
