Genuine Maui Seaglass
What is seaglass? Well, it depends on who you ask. Our opinion is that seaglass is any glass we find in the ocean that has been tumbled in the surf and sand and polished to a soft smooth edge. Sea glass, beach glass, mermaids tears are a few different names. Here on Maui most of our glass has come from long ago ships that were in port, some is ballast that was tossed overboard. Certainly we find the occasional broken piece of china or porcelain that came from Japan or China on a ship or from someone’s kitchen. Some of our interesting finds have been opium bottles and a frozen Charlotte doll.
The most common colors we find here on Maui are white, amber, brown, then blues and greens. We have been lucky enough to find some yellow, a few red pieces and even orange.
We collect all the seaglass used in our designs. nothing has been tumbled or altered in any way except for drilling a hole for certain jewelry pieces.
If you find your piece of seaglass is looking really “dry” we suggest the tiniest bit of mineral oil rubbed on and then wiped off with a cloth. It will bring the luster back to the glass.
Sterling Silver
We use sterling silver in the majority of our jewelry designs. First because we personally feel that the shine of sterling silver plays off the color of the seaglass best. It is a nice metal to work with and bends easily in our hands. It is non-allergenic for almost everyone, and it is frankly, a less expensive option than gold.
Gold
Gold-filled is a layer of gold bonded to a base of either sterling silver or some other base metal. It is real 14k gold. It is also safe for people with metal allergies.
One of the advantages of gold-filled jewelry products is the durability. It doesn’t wear out quickly and doesn’t tarnish or peel or flake off as gold plated jewelry can do. While more expensive than sterling silver, it is more affordable than solid 14k gold.
Pearls
We use a variety of different pearls, including Tahitian, South Sea , Keshi, and freshwater pearls
TAHITIAN PEARLS, also known as black South Sea pearls, have incredible exotic colors from deep black to peacock blue, green, silver and eggplant. These pearls are produced in Tahiti and several French Polynesian islands.
WHITE and GOLDEN SOUTH SEA PEARLS are cherished for their classic golden color as well as their size, White pearls are commonly found off Australia and golden are usually found in the Philippines.
KESHI pearls are small non-nucleated pearls typically formed as by-products of pearl cultivation. They are 100% solid nacre and come in all shapes and sizes. They are highly prized because of their remarkable luster, and since they are such a purely precious material, they are sold by weight like a gemstone. We love working with keshi pearls because of the amazing colors, shapes and sizes they offer.
FRESHWATER pearls are the most commonly produced, but their unique shapes and colors are always beautiful. They are prized for having very rounded shapes, and they are a slightly more affordable pearl.
All of the pearls we use are AAA grade and we buy only from a certified pearl dealer.
We also use carved MOTHER OF PEARL shells, ABALONE shells and carved CONCH and coral in some of our designs. These we also buy from our pearl dealer.
