Thank you for your question! According to the Museum's Chief Scientist,
changes to sea glass are the combined effect of alkali (sodium) being leached from the glass, and the scratching of the glass on the sand.
Further Reading
The Rakow Research Library has a number of books and articles about sea glass in its collections, including:
- Bilbao, Cindy. Sea Glass Seeker. New York: The Countryman Press, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.
- Beuke, Mary Beth. The Ultimate Guide to Sea Glass: Finding, Collecting, Identifying, and Using the Ocean’s Most Beautiful Stones. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2014.
- Lambert, C. S. (author), and Amy A. Wilton (photographer). A Passion for Sea Glass. Camden, Maine: Down East, 2008.
Borrowing Library Materials
If you wish to borrow copies of library items, please contact your local library. The Rakow Research Library will lend designated books from its collection and will send copies of articles requested by other libraries. Your library can request items through the OCLC WorldShare Interlibrary Loan (ILL) system or by direct request through email at ill@cmog.org. For more information, please see our ILL policies and procedures.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with your glass-related questions in the future!
