How to Care for Your Sea Glass Jewelry

Every Piece Tells a Story — Keep It Beautiful

Genuine sea glass has spent decades — sometimes a century — tumbling in the ocean, softened by salt water and sand into the frosted gems you love. That same gentle journey means your jewelry deserves a little extra care to keep it looking its best for years to come.

Whether you're wearing a sterling silver sea glass necklace, a Statement Sea Glass Ring, or a pair of sea glass hoop earrings, these simple steps will protect every material in your piece.

Gentle Cleaning: The Only Method You Need

The safest way to clean sea glass jewelry is with a soft, damp cloth. Dampen a lint-free cotton or microfiber cloth with plain, room-temperature water and gently wipe the sea glass and any metal findings. For metal settings that have picked up light tarnish, a soft-bristle toothbrush with a tiny drop of mild, fragrance-free soap (like pure castile soap) can be used very lightly — then wipe away all residue with a damp cloth and dry immediately.

Never use ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaners, or abrasive polishing cloths on sea glass. The frosted surface that gives genuine sea glass its beautiful matte glow is not a coating — it is the glass itself, etched naturally by the ocean. Abrasives and vibration can alter that texture permanently.

Prefer a Shinier Look?

If you prefer a shinier look to your sea glass, use a very small amount of plain mineral oil or fragrance-free, mineral-oil-based baby oil. With a clean fingertip or cotton swab, apply a thin film to the sea glass piece only, then gently wipe away any excess with a soft cloth. This is an optional surface treatment, not abrasive polishing. Keep oil away from suede cord, silk ribbon, elastic, metal settings, and any glued areas. If you cannot reach the glass without touching those materials, skip this step.

When to Avoid Soaking — Know Your Materials

Not all sea glass jewelry can tolerate even a brief rinse. Before cleaning, identify the stringing or setting material in your piece:

• Sterling silver settings and wire wraps: A damp cloth is safe. Avoid prolonged soaking, which can accelerate tarnish. For our Sea Foam Sea Glass Jewelry and Genuine Blue Sea Glass Jewelry collections, most pieces use sterling silver or stainless steel — a quick wipe is all they need.
• Suede cord: Keep completely dry. Suede stiffens, stains, and can rot when wet. If a piece strung on suede cord gets wet, blot immediately with a dry cloth and allow to air-dry flat away from heat. Do not submerge or run under water.
• Elastic/stretch cord: Our Stretchy Sea Glass Bracelets use elastic cord that can degrade over time with repeated soaking. Wipe the glass beads with a damp cloth instead of rinsing under the tap.
• Gold PVD and stainless steel: Pieces like the 18K Gold PVD Sea Glass Bracelet can be wiped with a damp cloth. Avoid soaking, harsh soaps, or perfumes directly on the metal, which can dull the finish over time.

Drying Your Jewelry

After any cleaning, lay your piece flat on a clean, dry cotton cloth or towel and allow it to air-dry completely at room temperature before storing. Never use a hair dryer or place jewelry near a heat source to speed drying — heat can cause metal to expand or contract and may stress wire-wrapped settings. Make sure silk ribbon and suede cord are fully dry before storing to prevent mildew.

Storing Sea Glass Jewelry Properly

How you store your pieces between wearings matters as much as how you clean them:

• Store each piece separately in a soft pouch or individual compartment to prevent scratching. Sea glass, while durable, can chip if knocked against metal clasps or other hard jewelry.
• Keep jewelry away from direct sunlight and humidity. A cool, dry drawer or a lined jewelry box is ideal.
• For sterling silver pieces, an anti-tarnish pouch or a small piece of anti-tarnish paper in the storage area will slow oxidation significantly.
• Remove jewelry before swimming, bathing, applying sunscreen, hairspray, or perfume. These products can dull sea glass and damage metal findings and cord over time.
• You can find Anti Tarnish Strips here 

What to Expect from Genuine, One-of-a-Kind Sea Glass

Every piece of sea glass in our collection is 100% genuine, naturally tumbled sea glass — found by hand on beaches, not manufactured. That means a few things worth knowing:

• No two pieces are identical. The shape, size, frosting, and color of each piece of sea glass is entirely unique. Small natural inclusions, surface variations, and irregular edges are features of authenticity, not flaws.
• Color is stable. The color in genuine sea glass comes from the original glass itself — it will not fade with normal wear or careful cleaning.
• The frosted surface is natural. Genuine sea glass has a matte, frosted appearance caused by decades of ocean tumbling. If your piece looks slightly different under different lighting, that is the natural texture of the glass interacting with light — and it is exactly what makes it special.
• Rarity varies by color. If you love rare finds, explore our Rare Sea Glass Jewelry collection, where colors like red, orange, and deep cobalt appear in very limited quantities.

Browse our full range of handcrafted pieces — from sea foam to clear to green — and wear yours with the knowledge that it carried an ocean journey long before it found its way to you.

Questions? We're Here.

If you ever have questions about a specific piece in your order — what cord it uses, whether the setting is solid sterling or silver-plated, or how to handle a repair — reach out directly. Every piece we make is one we can speak to personally, because we make them one at a time.