Looking at Colors: Clear

Clear (sometimes called "white," although this is a misdescription) is the most common sea glass color. For every 100 pieces of sea glass found-- on pretty much any beach around the world-- it's a good bet that half or more will be clear. This is not really surprising, if you stop to consider just how many containers and other objects are made out of clear glass.

Piece of clear sea glass from old insulator

Most people who have walked on a beach and looked down have probably come across a piece of clear sea glass. Once the glass has been rolled about in surf and salt water for many years, gets a soft almost luminous glow-- hence clear sea glass has sometimes been called "ocean moonstones." Another popular term for sea glass is "Mermaid tears," and I feel pretty sure this name originally came into use in association with clear sea glass.

Clear sea glass is often overlooked and dismissed as "boring," on account of its lack of color. This is a bit unfair, as the variety of objects originally made with clear glass is vast, and there's no telling what might turn up. Over the years I have found Victorian era doorknobs, cabinet and drawer pulls, bottle stoppers, intact handles from small pitchers, pieces of laboratory glass, security glass, window glass and many many pieces with writing on them, along with all sorts of other unusual items.

The shown piece-- which is about 1 1/2 inches across-- shows the clear lines from the threads of an old glass electric insulator. Such large thick and frosted pieces are actually somewhat uncommon-- I was very happy to find this piece washed up on the beach, after a winter storm.

To have a look at some of the many and varied types of clear sea glass, visit my Clear Sea Glass Photo Gallery on Flickr!