Scarborough Seashells Blog

Sea (or Beach) Glass is formed when bits of broken glass are rounded and smoothed by the tumbling action of the waves and sand. The longer the glass lies in the ocean’s depths, the smoother and more desirable it becomes. Over the past 30 years or so, sea glass has started to become more and more difficult to find as the transition to plastics became more prevalent in our culture. When I was a small child it was a whole lot easier to find a stunning piece of cobalt blue or even a vibrant red. Today, much of the sea glass that is found comes from beer bottles tossed into the water by vacationing beach goers and college students/young adults. For that reason, the most common colors that can be found today are those in the green, white and brown shades.

Sea Glass is now a prized treasure, highly sought after and considered by many as beautiful as a flawless diamond. Perhaps this is where Sea Glass Jewelry comes into play. Many artists have taken to using Sea Glass as unique “gems” in their jewelry creations. The prices for these spectacular pieces can skyrocket into the hundreds of dollars depending on the rarity of the glass used. The Sea Glass jewelry created in our studios started out with two small pieces of green glass collected locally off of Scarborough Beach, here in Narragansett, RI. Simply put, they looked like the perfect size for earrings and so they became. From there, a small business was born, as was a desire to keep these beautiful pieces affordable and eye pleasing to potential customers. With those goals in mind, we turned to tumbled glass as an affordable alternative to supplement our designs.

Now what is tumbled glass? It is simply broken pieces of glass that are tumbled in a machine to recreate the effect of sand, sea and time in about 1-2 weeks as opposed to years. Tumbling in a machine allows for many beautiful colors -now extremely difficult to find naturally- to be turned into fabulous one of a kind pieces that we can offer to you at reasonable prices. Many of our pieces still include glass collected locally off the beaches and we will be happy to answer any questions you have as to the origin of the glass used in a particular piece.

In celebration of summer we are now offering FREE SHIPPING on all of our Narragansett Sea Glass Jewelry pieces, so stop on by and check out what we have in stock! Oh and keep in mind that we also create custom pieces to match just about any color scheme you could imagine!

These easy crafts were suggested by our neighbor, Judy (who says she is not artsy, but we beg to differ.)

She likes to get that beachy feel in her vacation cottage and she pulls it off seamlessly. Even though she lives right up the street, we did not meet until she found us -while searching for some shells and glass for decorating- on eBay! You can find anything on eBay, including a new friend!

Here are her easy craft projects!

(Click on any thumbnail image to enlarge.)

Project 1:

An antique white ironstone chamber pot was found on eBay (of course!) She purchased two dozen of pencil starfish from our store… one set in white and one set in blue. Mix them up and place in the pot. A wonderfully easy way to bring the beach to any room of your home!

Project 2:

Using a paper lamp shade she already had, a little jute roping was glued to the top and bottom of the shade with a hot glue gun. She then randomly covered the entire shade with tiny starfish in an attractive pattern (also with hot glue).

Project 3:

She purchased two glass hurricane candle holders- okay, this time she went to an actual Brick & Mortar store, but she bets you could find them on eBay, lol! Place your candle in first and then surround about an inch high with one or two shades of sea glass. She used teal and cobalt blue.

And there you have it; three fresh, nautical looks for your beach cottage in minutes!

Thanks again for your inspiration, Judy!

To check out Judy’s FABULOUS beach cottage, Click Here!

Well, not really a thought but how about a tasty tidbit? I’ve gathered up some delicious carribean recipes that are sure to please at your next dinner party!
Conch Fritters with Mango Chile Dipping Sauce


Conch Fritters

2 lb Conch — ground

1 tsp Black pepper

1 Green pepper — chopped

1 tsp Baking powder

1 med Onion — chopped

3 oz Tomato paste

2 tsp Salt

3 c Self-rising flour

2 TSP Hot Sauce

Mix the ground conch with green pepper, onion, salt, black pepper and baking powder. Stir in the tomato paste, hot sauce and flour. Shape into balls and spoon into hot oil. Fry until golden brown and drain on brown paper. Serve warm with dipping sauce.

Mango Chile Dipping Sauce

cup puréed mango (about 2 mangoes)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and mix well. Serve Chilled
Yields: 1 1/2 cup

And to round out this spicy meal how about a Margarita?

Jose Cuervo’s Billionaire’s Margarita

1 oz Reserva da la Familia

1/2 oz Grand Marnier Cuvee du Centenaire

2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1 oz simple syrup*

Ice

Lime Wedge

Large Grain Kosher Salt

Combine Tequila, Grand Marnier, simply syrup and 1 oz. lime juice in a tall mixing glass, and mix well. Tip your serving glass upside down and dip rim in reserved ounce of lime juice then dip the rim into the salt. Add ice to the glass, pour in the mix and garnish with lime wedge. Viva Cuervo!

*simple syrup is little more then a mixture of sugar and water.

Bring the water to a boil, add sugar to the water and dissolve. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool.

The ratio of sugar to water can be left to personal preference, traditionally it is one part water to two parts sugar.

The word “conch” pronounced “conk” is derived from a Greek word meaning shell. When used in the Keys or the Caribbean Islands it refers to a mollusk, the Queen Conch, which has the technical name of stombus gigas.

Primitive Conch Uses

Conch has had a strong influence on the regions where it is found. Conch has been and continues in some areas as a prime source of protein. In the Keys and throughout the Bahamas and West Indies conch was a major source of food. Columbus’s crew according to his logs ate conch after gleaning conch shells from the waters of Cuba. Archaeologists’ excavations show that the conch was used by Indians as food, and as a tool. It is thought that pre-Columbian Indians possibly use the conch shell to make the huge canoes that Columbus observed Indians using during his visits to the New World. Columbus described canoes five feet in width and upward of 70 feet in length which were made of mahogeny tree trunks such that the centers were burned and chiseled out.

Indian settlements from the time before Columbus show that the Conch shell was used as scraper, scoop or dipper, hammer, gouge, chisel and eating dish. The shell was also used as a trumpet. Ancient West Indian civilizations have worshiped idols made from conch shells.

Indians used the conch shell for ornamentation and decoration and as a valuable trade object. The Arawak Indians of the West Indies created bracelets, amulets, necklaces, hairpins, and buttons from conch shells. In the Bahamas craftmen still create cameos from part of the shell.

Conch shells have been made into horns for centuries. In addition to their use in religious rites, the conch-shell trumpet had many practical uses. They were used by Indians to communicate from village to village and were used to initiate battles. Historic accounts of Hernando DeSoto’s explorations of Florida tell of Indian tribes greeting his explorer with the sounds from conch-shell trumpets. And in the cane fields of the West Indies slaves were summoned at the end of each work day by the sound of a conch trumpet.

Even in the present time conch shells are used as trumpets. Sea captains, sailors and fishermen signal each other with them. Conch blowing contests are a part of present day Key West celebrations.

How to Make a Conch Trumpet

To make a horn all one needs to do is to saw an inch off the tip of the Conch shell spire. With the tip gone a spiral shaped center column called the columella will be exposed. You then chip out about one half inch of culumella and smooth the cut edges with a rasp to fashion a comfortable mouthpiece to trumpet on. You must curl you lips as with a trumpet letting your lips vibrate as you blow to create a conch horn sound. Large shells have more volume and thus will create as deeper sound. Small shells will produce a tone with a higher pitch.

Prohibition

The Queen Conch is now protected by Florida and Federal law. Once abundant in the Key, the Key’s most famous shell was banned from be harvested in United States waters in 1985 because its population as been severely depleted.

Conch is still harvested elsewhere in the Caribbean but with government control. Conch is still a major food source in the Bahama Islands, but permission must be obtained from the Bahamian Government to export conch food products. Permission is also needed to export conch shells for use in the production of the floor covering material terrazzo.

Research into the conch along the Florida Keys shows that in some areas of the Florida Keys, conchs are starting to come back. In some areas they are not.

Conch had to be protected because it is the favorite food of many. In the Keys locals and tourists eat conch dishes. Any conch product or preparation eaten in the Keys has been imported from the Bahamas or other Caribbean islands.

When prepared properly to soften the texture of the meat many people consider conch to be among the choicest seafoods of the world. In the Florida Keys restaurants often will include on their menu conch fritters, conch seviche, conch salad, a marinated dish called cracked conch and of course the ever popular conch chowder.

Aphrodisiac

With the pharmacitical companies development of viagra and other similar products, aphrodisiacs of the past seem to have lost favor. Cooked conch, pickeled conch and raw conch meat have been considered to be an aphrodisiac. Of note, particularly in the West Indies a rod shaped portion of the conch’s stomach called the “crystalline style” is swallowed by males as they proclaim “It will make you a Mon man”.

We have just learned that a new supply of the beautiful Queen Conchs will be made available in approximately 6 weeks. We can’t wait to get these beauties back into our store, they’ve been sadly missed!

Upon this odd-shaped sea shell
A legend grand is told
About the life of Jesus
The wondrous tale of old

The center marking plainly shows
The well known Guiding Star
That led to tiny Bethlehem
The Wise Men from afar

The Christmas flower, Poinsettia
For His Nativity
The Resurrection too is marked
The Easter Lily, see

Five wounds were suffered by our Lord
From nails and Roman’s spear
When He died for us on the cross
The wounds show plainly here

Within the shell, should it be broke,
Five Doves of Peace are found
To emphasize this legend
So may Love and Peace abound

I bought two cool books on Amazon the other day. The first one is called Pure Sea Glass by Richard Lamotte, Sally Lamotte Crane & photographs by Celia Pearson. I first found this book at a friend’s house and had to have a copy for myself! It has amazingly detailed information on identifying sea glass, assessing it’s rarity and suggestions for ideal locations and climates for finding it.

The second is a seashell indentification book:Shells- a Smithsonian Handbook I’ve been working in shells for almost 2 years now and this will be my first guide book to help me identify and classify my items!

I’m really hoping to be able to share some interesting information about different species of shell as well as some beautiful photos with you all!

Just a quick note to let our readers know what we are planning for upcoming entries. The next featured article will focus on sea glass, collecting, rarity and ideas for it’s use. We are working hard to gather beautiful photos and lots of good information for you!

We also plan to continue with more shell craft “How To” articles and will perhaps delve into some more history and lore surround specific seashells!

Thanks for reading!

Shell collecting is a pastime that has been enjoyed by millions the world over for generations!  This guide should help you learn to identify and preserve your beach finds and perhaps give you some inspiration for what to do with all those tidbits you’ve collected over the years.  As a resident of Scarborough Beach in Rhode Island, My family and I have had opportunity to comb our beach from tip to toe and we have gathered some magnificent specimens over the years.

Here’s the breakdown:

MOLLUSKS (Seashells) : Any of numerous chiefly marine invertebrates, typically having a soft unsegmented body, a mantle, and a protective calcareous shell. 

The Mollusk Category can be further broken down into:

GASTROPODS: Any of various mollusks such as the snail, slug, cowrie, or limpet, characteristically having a single, usually coiled shell or no shell at all, a ventral muscular foot for locomotion, and eyes and feelers located on a distinct head.  When alive, these animals have an operculum (trap door) which will close off the entrance to their shell to protect them from predators.

BI-VALVES: A mollusk, such as an oyster or a clam, that has a shell consisting of two hinged valves.

STARFISH Any of various marine echinoderms, characteristically having a thick, often spiny body with five arms extending from a central disk.

SEA URCHIN Any of various echinoderms, having a soft body enclosed in a round, symmetrical, calcareous shell covered with long spines.

SEA HORSE A small marine fish, characteristically swimming in an upright position and having a prehensile tail, a horselike head, and a body covered with bony plates.

SAND DOLLAR Any of various thin circular echinoderms, of coastal northern Atlantic and Pacific waters, having a covering of short movable spines.  The disklike internal skeleton has five radially symmetric oblong markings and often a pattern of slotlike holes.

SEA GLASS Any piece of glass that has been tumbled and smoothed naturally by the sea water, wind and sand over a period of time.

CLEANING & PRESERVING…

*Please note that these cleaning instructions are intended for beachcombing finds only!  They will work well to preserve your memories of a day at the beach with family and friends.  I do not recommend cleaning any collector specimens or other monetarily valuable items with these methods unless instructed by an expert!*

Seashells: Soak the seashells in a 1:1 solution of bleach and water.  Once the algae and periostracum (flaky leathery covering on most live shells) is gone, remove from the solution.  If there are still some barnacles or other matter on them you can use a tool such as a Dental Pick, Jewelers’ Tweezers, or toothbrush to remove it.

Smoothing Rough Edges- try a Dremel Tool to file them smooth.

Polishing Your Shells- try using Mineral Oil or Baby Oil.

Starfish & Sea Horses:  Soak in Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) overnight, set out flat to dry in the sun.  A heavy book can be used to prevent curling.

Sea Urchins:  These are fragile, clean with care!  Let them sit out in the sun for a few days to dry (and air) out.  Then brush off the spines.  Next, flip it over and clean out any remaining tissues from inside the hole using one of the tools mentioned above.  Last, rinse well in fresh water and dry.

Sand Dollars: Not many people realize that while alive, sand dollars have a fine gray hair on them.  To get them hardened and bleached white, follow these steps:
-Soak them in fresh water as soon as possible after collecting.  The water will turn a brown color.  Repeat until the water stays fairly clear.

-Next, soak them in a solution of bleach and water.  Depending on the strength of the bleach you use, let them sit for  5-10 minutes.

-Remove from bleach, rinse thoroughly in fresh water and let dry.  Repeat if necessary.

*NOTE* Do not soak them for too long in the bleach because if left too long they can crumble.  Each soaking weakens the sand dollar a little more so it is not recommended you do this more then a couple times.  If they are still not white enough, let the sun bleach them the rest of the way.

-To Harden: Make a 1:1 mixture of water and all purpose glue.  Apply in a thin even coat over the surface of the sand dollar and let it dry thoroughly.

DISPLAYING YOUR SPECIMEN…

Seashells, Sand Dollars, Star Fish and Sea Urchins all look lovely displayed in their natural state on a Stand that gives them a place of prominence in your home.  If you are a crafter, why not try adding them to a wreath,  fill a vase, make ornaments, a windchime or even use them at your wedding?  Sea glass makes beautiful jewelry.

Tara Beaulieu

  

 

The newest additions to Scarborough Seashells come to us in the form of jewelry. I have been working with Polymer Clay for a few weeks and have created some pretty cool pendant and earring sets using starfish, seashells and seahorses. I’ve worked with turquoise, green and white to make hand marbled clay in an attempt to capture the beautiful colors of the ocean. The sets are finished off with 14 K Gold Filled pieces and hand painted and glazed for a polished look. I am enjoying learing to work in this medium and hope to continue making new designs to bring to our customers in the coming weeks!

Wow! It’s been a long time since posting here and we’re hoping to get this blog back up to speed and worthy of reading. Our eBay store has undergone some major changes and additions- one of the newest is the Crafter’s Corner Page. This is the place for people who love making things from shells to strut their stuff! We will post new crafting ideas each month with “How To” instructions when available. We welcome our customers to submit their projects to us and when your submission is featured, you will receive $5.00 towards any future purchases at Scarborough Seashells!

This month’s featured craft is a grapevine wreath covered in Sea Life and Seashells.

This is a time consuming project but so worth the final result! The bare bones of this project can be done on a modest budget. Most of the shells used are “filler” shells which can be bought in bulk, either by type or in mixed bags. Check out our Bulk Crafting Shells.

The base of this wreath starts with a ready made grapevine wreath . The only tools you will need are a glue gun and glue sticks (lots of glue sticks!) which you can get at any crafting store or super store like Walmart or Target.

Once you have your base, you want to start out with the largest shells first. On our wreath, we have used a Tonna Sulcosa, a Ficus Communis Common Fig Shell, 2 Sugar Starfish and several species of Scallop & Clam Shells. The basic idea is to lay these out in even spaces around the wreath and build from there.

Next you want to add your filler shells. This one has a few varieties but the main shells are Brown & White Chulas, Small Turbo Shells and a bag of Mixed Indian Ocean Shells. We have layered the shells 2 and 3 thick so that none of the wreath is visible from the front side.

The final step is to add your special finishing touches. You could add a ribbon or raffia to make a bow or simply place a few more pretty sea treasures around it as the crowning touch. We have used Teal & Green Sea Glass and Pink & Green Sea Urchins. Sea Horses or Sand Dollars would also be lovely additions!

This makes a welcoming statement to any home in the summertime or a wonderful gift for a beach lover! Happy Crafting!