Valueing Sea Glass How to rate value of sea glass - Quality And Value
There are many different types, and qualities to Genuine Sea Glass TM.
By The Sea Jewelry rates each piece and Certify the value in the jewelry we sell.
What makes one piece more valuable than another? There are several factors that effect the value of Natural Sea Glass.We include these in our valuation and certification process.
"Sea glass is just glass like diamonds are just rocks!"© The value is ever increasing on these natural found gems. I like to call them "REVERSE" gemstones. Diamonds are stones that are made by nature and refined by man. Sea Glass are gems that are made my man and refined by nature. The value is comparable to gems, and maybe stronger as the source for these (old glass) is finite.
Below are the 3 values we using in appraising sea glass value
Color - Grade - Other Characteristics
Color
While certain colors are more prevalent in some areas, there are is general to what is common, what is rare sea glass.
The commonly found colors Green, Brown and White are common simply because there are still sources for new sea glass in this range. Budwiser bottles (brown), Import beer and wine bottles (greens) and soda and water bottles (white) make this a glass that there is still a source for. Meaning, you will see these colors for many years to come. Tough the abundance will diminish as beaches offer recycling bins etc....
This does not mean that ALL glass in this color is common. Certain pieces can be much older, thicker and have characteristics that will make a shard of sea glass more valuable.
Colors that are rare are those that no longer have a modern source and colors that were expensive to make (such as vivid red which required actual gold to make the molten glass that hue). See - The Colors Of Sea Glass for more info on sea glass colors.
Color Values
1 Common Green - Brown - White
2 Olives - Ambers - Pale Greens
3 Seafoam Green
4 Blues - Lavenders - Odd Greens
5 All others including but not limited to Reds, Peach, Vivid Aqua, Lime or Chartreuse Green
5+ Colors - Pinks - Mixed Colors - Oranges - Grays - Flash Glass
Keep In Mind - This is just the color rating, other factors effect the final value of sea glass shards
Glass Grade - Frost
Frost is a good determining of good quality sea glass. While not all rare glass has a heavy frost (such as pieces found in a light surf environment or from a fresh water source, like the Great Lakes), Frost is still a good sign that you have a very old piece of glass.
1- Fair - Little Frost
2 Medium - Medium Frost - Modern Glass may contain shiny spots but has a even though not heavy frost
3 Good - Heavy Frost may have slight shiny spot but does not effect value- Early to mid 20th Century glass
4 Top - Well Frosted - No nicks or inclusions, totally frosted
5 Exceptional - Pre 20th Century , heavily frosted - PERFECT
Other Characteristics - Glass Rarity Value
Thickness, Shape, Individuality
1 - Thin Common Glass common shapes, not overly distinctive
2 - Thicker Glass - Well Frosted - Older Colors No Markings
3 - Glass with unique markings, patterns or embossing, Heavier thickness. Embossing, a practice used to imprint a product name in the glasses itself has diminished with the use of paper labels. This combines with thickness can certainly make a piece of white for example, very rare indeed.
4 - Rare Markings - Bonfire Glass - Bubbles - Buttons - Distinctive Piece of a bottle such as necks, bottoms or rounds
5 - Totally Rounded Some unique feature that sets it apart from most other sea glass specimens....Such as Flash Glass, Marbles, Bottle Stoppers, etc.
All of these factors are averaged together to reach a final valuation and to complete certification of your Genuine Certified Sea Glass TM in our sea glass jewelry.