I love coming home with something special from my travels. So when Zee and I took a trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada I couldn’t resist checking out the local stores for unique jewelry styles native to PEI, like sea glass jewelry.
When you’re visiting a new place it’s best to experience the culture, the food and get a chance to mingle with the locals. Which is why Victoria by the Sea was one of my favourite places on the island. The town was picturesque in every aspect; from its brightly coloured houses and shops to its sparkling coastline and greenery all around. After a morning of kayaking, we checked out the local shops for lunch and some souvenirs. The town’s people and places reminded me of Stars Hollow (with a beach).
I loved the one-of-a-kind appeal of all the shops, especially Moe’s shop called Bittersweet Rose. It carries a variety of jewellery, household items and gifts; of which, sea glass stood out the most to me.
Sea Glass Jewelry
Sea glass formation is a two-part process. Glass shards from broken bottles and jars tumble in the ocean water against rocks and gravel to form smooth edges that start to resemble gems. This process takes anywhere from 40 to 100 years! As the glass hits different surfaces in the water it becomes etched with different designs. The second part of the process is when the shiny surface of the glass is stripped due to a process of hydration (salt water leaching out lime and soda in the glass) to give the glass piece a frosty appearance.
You also have to remember that a sea glass’s journey is a long one. The glass used for gems originates from old rum bottles thrown overboard, Vaseline bottles (when Vaseline used to come in glass containers) and soft drink bottles to name a few. Of this cobalt blue, orange and lavender are more rare colours versus white, green and brown which are more commonly found.
Sea glass is found along the white sand beaches of PEI which is along the northern and eastern coastline. We noticed a lot of people sifting through the tides to find a piece of sea glass which given the number of shops selling sea glass jewelry should have been very easy. However, after spending almost an hour looking for some along the Singing Sands beach we found a piece of orangey-brown glass – still pretty much intact.
Luckily I was able to pick up some beautifully delicate earrings containing cobalt blue sea glass from Red Island Sea Glass. Every time I wear them I’m complimented. I love the uniqueness but at the same time the simplicity of the design and the multiple ways to wear them.
Wampum Jewelry
Since sea glass is native to the white sand beaches of PEI, Wampum jewellery is native to warmer water which can be found along the red sand beaches (southern part) of the island. Originally made by the Wampanoag Indians in what is now known as New England, this unique purple jewellery is crafted from Quahog shells. The darker the purple colour in the shell, the more valuable the beads. In fact, these beads were once used as currency to pay for Harvard tuition! I found it really interesting that the colour wasn’t painted on the beads but was actually part of the shell’s colouring.
Sand Jewelry
Some other interesting jewellery I found on the island was this series of necklaces. They are crafted by encompassing shells in a sand mould. The different colours of the sand come from different beaches on the island. I was surprised to see such a diverse range of sand colours on such a small island.
I love discovering new handmade jewelry shops whether at home or on vacation. So if you’re planning to visit PEI, make sure you stop in Victoria to take in the sights and chat with the welcoming locals.
28 Comments
Sydney
August 23, 2017 at 4:29 PMOMG I love sea glass. I never thought of wearing sea glass jewelry
Mariam
August 23, 2017 at 6:31 PMYou totally can! I saw one of the shop owners actually making it in PEI.
Lateefah
August 23, 2017 at 5:38 PMBeautiful earrings!! I love the uniqueness and individuality of each creation.
Mariam
August 23, 2017 at 6:32 PMSo true, I haven’t come across anything that resembles this in Toronto or otherwise.
Shannon Sawicki
August 23, 2017 at 9:01 PMBeautiful pieces! I love seaside decor and accessories. I have a Silver Starfish from Hawaii that I adore, and a pearl ring from California. one of these would make a great addition to my collection.
Mariam
August 24, 2017 at 2:38 AMExactly and they have a great story behind them too. I have a starfish ring and a few pearl pieces myself.
Annika
August 24, 2017 at 3:19 AMGorgeous jewelry! I love the seashell necklace. So classy and a great way to remember a vacation.
Mariam
August 24, 2017 at 9:15 PMYes, I will definitely remember the story of its origin.
julz
August 24, 2017 at 5:39 AMThis jewellery looks really nice – i love sea glass and the sea shells are cute too.
Mariam
August 24, 2017 at 9:15 PMThere was such variety in the designs that it would be for anyone’s taste.
AllMyDeals
August 24, 2017 at 6:00 AMThe jewellery looks so fab. The mermaid drops in particular
Mariam
August 24, 2017 at 9:16 PMI loved the way the mermaid drops were displayed! I actually saved one of my blue mussel shells and brought it home 😛
Debabrati
August 24, 2017 at 6:54 AMThey are so much beautiful. Perfect for gift purpose. So unique.
Mariam
August 24, 2017 at 9:17 PMIndeed! I bought some gifts from there too!
Elegant Duchess
August 24, 2017 at 7:43 AMbeautiful jewellery especially that sand one, very original.
I agree with you, when traveling we should make an effort to get to know the place, its culture, traditions, a bit of history, taste the authentic cuisine and create beautiful bespoke memories. thank you for sharing
http://www.elegantduchess.com/2017/08/24/honeymoon-bahamas-miami-part-2/
Mariam
August 24, 2017 at 9:18 PMYes, the sand one was very original. The craftsman really used his local resources which is what made it very unique to PEI.
Tanekka Fleary
August 24, 2017 at 12:08 PMLove those mermaid drops!😍 Want some!!
Mariam
August 24, 2017 at 9:18 PMGlad to hear! 🙂
Vinil
August 24, 2017 at 12:39 PMThe jewelry is quite elegant. I’ve always loved the natural, earthy kind of accessories.
Mariam
August 24, 2017 at 9:19 PMOh, there was definitely a lot of sand styles in PEI!
Ashleya
August 24, 2017 at 1:33 PMThe jewelry is so cute, especially for a Pisces like myself.
Mariam
August 24, 2017 at 9:19 PMI loved it too and I’m not a Pisces 🙂
Andrea
August 25, 2017 at 1:19 AMI love sea glass, and when I lived on the East Coast, I collected it. I didn’t know any of this about sea glass, however. I have several pieces of sea glass jewelry (I even reviewed a bracelet on my blog last year), but mine are made up of the standard light greenish glass.
Your pieces from your trip are lovely!
Mariam
August 25, 2017 at 11:04 PMI couldn’t seem to find any on the beach but I probably wasn’t looking in the right place lol. I love learning about how my jewellery is made and where it came from so I asked the shop owners. I would love to read your sea glass jewellery post.
Luci
August 25, 2017 at 3:39 AMI love all the jewellery. Love that its all natural and from the sea.
Mariam
August 25, 2017 at 11:02 PMThat’s great that you think so too 🙂
Laila
March 12, 2018 at 7:21 PMI am interested in teh sand jewellery. Can you recall the name of the person who made them? Is there an email address or web page?
Thank you, Laila
Mariam
March 14, 2018 at 10:30 PMHi Laila! I do in fact know who made these necklaces. You can find them on http://www.eastcoastbeachsand.com
Hope that helps 🙂