Beachcombing

Antique sailors valentines -- sea shells crafts
History of sailors valentines
Sailor's valentines are souvenirs that were brought back by sailors during the Victorian era. They are usually octagonal in shape and in the form of a glass-fronted box filled with sea shells arranged in a design. Most such souvenirs originated on the island of Barbados, as evidenced by newspaper remains seen in damaged sailor's valentines boxes. Today they are a highly desirable collectible and are being reproduced in kit form by many artists.

Antique Japanese glass fishing floats
History of glass floats
Glass floats have been used in the fishing industry since the 1840s to support fishing nets while in use. These floats would often break loose from the nets and drift around in the ocean until coming ashore many years later. Early floats were hand-blown by glassblowers using recycled glass. They are frequently marked with their maker's trademark on the pontil. The glass of authentic floats is thick to enable survival during heavy usage. Floats are commonly spherical, but other rarer shapes su...

Collecting genuine sea glass -- trash to treasures
What is sea glass?
Sea glass (sometimes called beach glass) is glass from broken bottles or jars which is left in large bodies of moving water. The tumbling effect of the water and sand smooths the rough edges of the glass to create pieces of frosted glass. Many beachcombers collect sea glass as they search their local beaches for treasures. Some colours are harder to spot than others, and accordingly are considered more valuable by collectors.

Sand collection -- basics of the hobby
What is sand?
For some people, sand is an inconvenience that gets stuck between one's toes and inside one's swimming costume. For others, it's something fun to build sand castles from, or to collect. It's not something people think about a lot, but sand is everywhere. It's at the beach, in deserts, on riverbeds and at rocky shores. Depending on the location, sand can be created from a variety of minerals. The colour of the sand depends on the mineral or minerals in the sand ... but more on that below!