Sea Glass Jewelry: Create Beautiful and Unique Designs from Beach-Found Treasures

93 Pages·2014·4.2 MB·English

by  Lindsay Furber

Text copyright © 2014 Lindsay Furber and Mary Beth Beuke. Photographs copyright © 2014 Mary Beth
Beuke except as noted below. Design and concept copyright © 2014 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All
rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any
means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the Internet) will
be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Published in the U.S. by Ulysses Press P.O. Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com
ISBN: 978161243-342-4
Library of Congress Control Number 2013957411
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Acquisitions Editor: Kelly Reed Managing Editor: Claire Chun Editor: Kate St. Clair Proofreader: Elyce
Berrigan-Dunlop Front cover design: Michelle Thompson Cover photos: © Mary Beth Beuke Interior
design and layout: what!design @ whatweb.com
Interior photos: see page 77
Index: Sayre Van Young Distributed by Publishers Group West IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: This
book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no
affiliation with, any trademarked brands or other trademarked brands or products mentioned within is
claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in this book belong to their respective owners and are used
here for informational purposes only. The authors and publisher encourage readers to patronize the quality
brands and products mentioned in this book.
“My soul is full of longing
For the secret of the sea,
And the heart of the great ocean
Sends a thrilling pulse through me.”
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Trash or Treasure?
Chapter 3: Making Jewelry
Chapter 4: Tools & Terms
Chapter 5: Prepping the Sea Glass Collection
Chapter 6: Wire Wrapping
Twisted Wire Bail for Earrings
Necklace Using Wire Wrapping
Chapter 7: Drilled Sea Glass
Drilled Earrings
Drilled Sea Glass Eyelet Bracelet
Chapter 8: Silver Bezel Rings
Silver Bezel Ring
Chapter 9: Adding Texture To Jewelry
Chapter 10: Rivets
Earrings with Texture and Rivets
Chapter 11: Sea Glass Charm Bracelet
Sea Glass Charm Bracelet
Chapter 12: Gluing Sea Glass to Various Jewelry Settings
Pronged Sea Glass Ring
Glued Necklace Bail
Resources
Photo Credits
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
The Sea Glass
People have always been drawn to the ocean’s allure and the artifacts residing at
water’s edge. The world’s oceans harbor an array of wonders: tide pools with
alien-like creatures, relics left by historic settlers, shipwreck finds, and more. No
surprise, then, that the joy of beachcombing appeals to all ages.
As a child, I lived across the street from a 32-acre, densely forested park with
play areas, baseball fields, tennis courts, pools, and a thousand different trails.
Best of all, many trails led down to the beach. I spent countless hours spotting
orca whales off the coast, building forts from driftwood, and exploring wonders
found upon the Puget Sound waterways.
Over the years, my fascination with the seashore has become focused on the hunt
for an increasingly rare discovery: sea glass. Whenever I plan a vacation, the
beach is at the front of my mind. My poor husband was even forced to hunt for
sea glass on our honeymoon in Italy! My business partner, Mary Beth, and I
have traveled down the Pacific Ocean coast on sea–glass hunting trips. We also
traveled to Greece in search of rare sea glass. And, I’m already dreaming of a
trip to the Caribbean for the bright sea glass colors found there.
Coauthor Lindsay at the beach.
The Jewelry
Mary Beth Beuke also dabbled in jewelry design. On the rare occasions that we
were not scouring the beach, she would let me rifle through her collection of
beads and other jewelry-making materials so I could make a simple beaded
bracelet. It was simply an amusing hobby.
Then, for Christmas one year, Mary Beth gave me a lovely sea glass anklet she
had made. It was a simple design — a drilled piece of cobalt blue sea glass hung
from leather cord — and I loved it! Not long afterward, I commenced my first
attempt at a pair of wire-wrapped earrings. Soon friends began making special
requests for my sea glass jewelry creations. I even found myself taking college
courses to learn silversmith techniques.
Before long, our love of sea glass and the desire to create with our hands
flourished, and Mary Beth and I launched West Coast Sea Glass. Once the
company got on its feet, I was able to rent studio space from experts in jewelry
design. I spent many full Saturdays at the workbench learning metalsmithing,
soldering, cutting, and hammering techniques. This further experience and
specialized training in metalwork gave me a knowledge base I could rely on for
the next 10 years.