Strength, power and beauty of the water are revealed in sea glass

Thanks to the constant movement of the ocean, the pressure from tides and the abrasiveness of sand, broken shards of glass — essentially trash — eventually become lovely, soft-edged pieces of frosted “gems” of the ocean — or what is more commonly referred to as sea glass.

But for what has become such a widespread label, the finished outcome is not as prevalent as it once was.

“It’s unusual, rare — even more so now. We don’t dump our garbage in the ocean anymore,” says Anita Roth, a sea glass photographer. “We do a much better job of recycling.”

Long-time photographer Roth was looking for something to shoot indoors during the cold winter months when, about 10 years ago, she took a good look at her small sea glass collection and “went with that.”

“A lot of people aren’t familiar with it,” says Roth, who is now known for her sea glass photography. “It’s an interesting subject, each piece has its own history. They have different shapes, different colors, the way it captures light. It’s complex.”

Roth, along with sea glass jewelry artists Janet Payne and Jenna Palmisano-Perfetti, will all have their work displayed and for sale at “In Celebration of Sea Glass” 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at Splash Gallery at Whale’s Tale in Cape May.

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The search for sea glass is a hobby for some and a passion for others.

“I think one of the lures or attractions of searching for sea glass, for me, is that they are treasures hidden in plain sight,” Payne says. “They really are kind of like a treasure — when completely done, all the edges are smooth. They have the look and beauty of the sea somehow. And they come in every color that glass comes in.”

Payne, who been a collector of sea glass for years, is highly knowledgeable in the “colorful history” of sea glass.

There are the older, rarer colors such as cobalt blue, from which the glass mostly derives from old medicine or Noxema bottles, she explains. The sea foam color, which is more common, is primarily from Coca Cola bottles, while a bright green can be from a Heineken bottle. White could be from window panes and pink is generally from Depression glass.

Payne began collecting sea glass long before she decided to create her jewelry line, for which she uses only sterling silver and often accompanies the glass with freshwater pearls.

“My pieces are very simple — or simply elegant,” she explains. “I try to let the beauty of the sea glass come through. I like the idea of using pearls with it because they come from the ocean. They seem to go well together.”

A technique Roth uses is utilizing a macro lens for her photography, which “magnifies things substantially,” helping to give sand the look of having a very coarse texture, even though she often procures it from Sanibel Island in Florida, which is actually very soft. Another trick is to put a dab of oil on the glass so it shines more in her lighting.

Aside from the three artists, author Richard LaMotte will also be on-hand at Splash to launch his newest book “The Lure of Sea Glass, Our Connection to Nature’s Gems.”

Payne says that searching for sea glass to create her jewelry line are appealing to her on the surface, but there’s a much deeper level also.

“For something that was once discarded to become a thing of beauty over a long period of time through the natural action of nature, reminds me to be patient. That some things take time to mature,” she says. “Wearing a piece of sea glass jewelry reminds me of the strength and uncontrollable power of the sea, as well as its beauty.”

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