photo: along the shoreline in St George's, Bermuda






Sea Glass:      for every piece of sea glass that I pick up which meets my standards, at least 25 are thrown back in the water.  I use only jewelry grade genuine sea glass - sea glass that has all edges smooth and rounded by Mother Nature.  This activity takes about 50 - 100 years to happen.  Most sea glass found by people was probably tossed in water in the past few years and is still rough and still have sharp edges. Mother Nature is in charge of this activity with the wind, salt and wave action in the ocean.

some jewelry designers use "cultured" sea glass which is glass throw in a tumbler...this glass has never seen a wave or sandy beach...its just glass.

Chipped China:      I have always loved the look of vintage china and hate to see it tossed in the dustbin because of a chip or crack. So I take those unusable plates and create wearable art. 

 Beads:  As I have often have said to people I meet at shows, I feel that while sea glass is the STAR OF THE SHOW, the beads are the best supporting actress, and are very important to the end result. So I take time to match beads with the sea glass to create the look I am trying to achieve in each and every piece.  I often buy FairTrade beads from Africa, SouthEast Asia and Indonesian.  And I also work with US and European artisans to develop custom beads for my designs. I take pleasure in supporting independent artists.

Beach Stones, 
TerraCotta Pieces
​& Driftwood: 
​ I admit I do not know very much about the compound makeup of stones, but I do know that I love some of the ones I find on the beach.  The ones in Maine are so black and able to be drilled so easily....and the ones in Greece are pink and beautiful and so well rounded.

 TerraCotta and Ceramic pieces are remnants of household items like dishes, pottery and floor tiles that have also found their way into the ocean ...often with beautiful hand painted designs
that have gained a lovely patina over time.

In the past year or so, I have discovered the real natural beauty of driftwood - the knots, the shapes, the worm holes,
the remaining bark. The necklaces I have created have been
very popular.

recycle  ~  repurpose  ~  redesign


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Etsy shop:  AllWashedUpGems

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