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I Spend Days Looking For Sea Treasures On The Beach And Here Are 38 Most Interesting Things I’ve Found
I spend most of my days beachcombing and searching for sea treasures for making sea-themed jewelry. I am not only searching for seashells and corals, but also for rare sea glass and sea pottery.
One of my proudest finds is a 200-year-old undamaged Maraschino bottle, from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After finding it, I returned it back home to the Cosmacendi Palace, where in the past lived the maker of the bottle and is now the Museum of Ancient Glass! It was not only an incredible find but also a bottle without any proof that it even existed.
I love using a piece of history in my jewelry and other creations that makes it more special and one of a kind. If you are interested in my jewelry, you can find it here!
More info: Instagram
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Tiny Sea Treasures
Final score:
414points
Kim Lorton 6 years ago
Wow! Those are amazing shells, as is all the glass! A storm likely churned up the bottom and a wreck was disturbed and contents ended upon the beach! Such treasure to find!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
You are right! Here many ships came to dump trash 200, 100 years ago... that's why I find so many old treasures :)
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
The yellow ones are my favorite :D
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RELATED:
#2
Tiny Seashells
Final score:
318points
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
These tiny babies look just like the bigger shells! So cute!
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I do have one when I'm creating jewelry hahahhah
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sharron lynn parsons 6 years ago
I have a small collection, I love them as each piece is unique !!!
Krystine Patterson 6 years ago (edited)
I love collecting these! There are particular spots around Port Philip bay in Melbourne that are rich in these little deposits, I have jars of them, some of thing are literally only 2mm in length.
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
So amazing! Tiny ones are my favorite!
Load More Replies... sharron lynn parsons 6 years ago
We must take time to truly enjoy nature, as we are surrounded in the beauty of nature !!!
#3
200-Year-Old Cosmacendi Maraschino Bottle
Final score:
299points
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Thank you so much! Glad you also like it!
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Yes! Because the color of the glass was blue, nowadays almost all sold "blue" bottles are only white glass colored with a blue color on the outside.
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clu 6 years ago
How do you know this bottle is 200years old? I have a very similar one, it's from 1984. adegavelha...0445be.jpg 
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
The Museum of glass told me :)
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Liesa Yopp 6 years ago
This impresses me the most. The fact that it stayed intact all that time is amazing.
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I was only worried that I will break it! After 200 years of staying intact!
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I rather donated it to the museum, so more research could be done and many more people could see the bottle :)
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I agree! So beautiful and colorful..
Load More Replies... #4
Deep Purple Is One Of The Rarest Sea Glass Colors
Final score:
290points
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
One of my favorite pieces of sea glass! Beautiful!
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Han 6 years ago
We had a name for ocean glass in Tasmania! But I can't remember it now. A lady used to pay me for collecting it so she could make windows etc out of it. I never ever found purple though wow!
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Haahaha, it is easier if someone else collects it for you, but what about fun? I have so much fun searching for sea glass and other treasures... I never know what will I find.
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Louise Brigance 6 years ago
Wonder what the geological story is behind this color? Or is it man made glass?
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I wouldn't know, but it's truly a rare color :D
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Suzanne Melton 6 years ago
Interesting. When clear liquor bottles are left out in the desert for years, THEY turn purple.
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Woah, I didn't know that! Thank you for sharing!
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#5
Beautiful Perfume Bottle
Final score:
258points
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Yes, it's all intact. I found the bottle and the stopper at different times, but they are a cute match.
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Glad you like it! It's really cute!
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madeline tansey bryson 6 years ago
Did you take the lid off maybe a venue lives there (reference "i dream of genie")
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I found the pieces separately, they are not even a match, but I like displaying them together :)
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I found the bottle and the stopper at different times, but they are a cute match.
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
The perfume bottle is a bit broken at the top, but overall almost in one piece...
Load More Replies... #6
German Company Oberselters Mineral Water Bottle From 1860s
Final score:
249points
DE Ray 6 years ago
That is a truly gorgeous design. Simple and functional, but quite a bit of detail obviously went into the manufacture.
Chris Rü 6 years ago
Hi. Actually, it is not "Oberselters" but simply "Selters", a tiny town in Hessia, Germany. Nassau on the bottle refers to a former state-name (Hessen-Nassau). You can find more on the (still existing) company here: https://www.selters.de/quelle/historie/ including a picture of a very similar bottle ( im19jh.jpg 
). They might be interested in your pictures ;-)
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Hi, thank you for letting me know! Truly means a lot!
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I do also, I always research as soon as I come home from the beach!
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
It is very cute for a mineral water bottle :)
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MomaBear 6 years ago
Amazing that things so old and breakable have been found in such fantastic condition!! Ultimate reusable packaging or what, hey?
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Exactly, this amazes me the most!
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#7
100+ Years Old Sea Pottery Finds
Final score:
218points
Elke Bechtoldt 6 years ago
Love them! I need to get to the ocean more often... Living too far away. :-(
#8
Some Of The Bottles Found On The Beach
Final score:
210points
Sarah Brinsfield 6 years ago
I found an old miniature red bottle on the shores of O'ahu. Very rare as they used gold in the formula to make the color.
Just another bot 6 years ago
There must've been a fair share of shipwrecks around those shores back in the day
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
You are right :) In the past (200, 100 years ago) Italian ships would come to this spot and dump trash. Over the years, the mud and the sand covered the trash. Now, after a storm, many pieces like glass bottles, pottery plates, silverware... wash up on the beach.
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
The dark blue bottle is truly stunning!
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I have found red glass before, but never a bottle
Load More Replies... Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I find all of these treasures because in the past (50 - 200 years ago), Italian ships would come here and dump trash... that's why after a storm, many wash up on the shore.
Load More Replies... Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
It's in Ankaran, Slovenia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s14jToPvoQg
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All Pieces Were Found On The Beach
The 3 different plates that I placed together, the cup with the initials AC, a saucer for the cup and a silver spoon with the initials BM.
Final score:
195points
Reilly Beryll 6 years ago
Croissants are common food for mermaids. Made with magical properties that allow the bread to resist the water of the sea. Further proof that the mer exist!
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Lara Iloiu 6 years ago
I use pieces from broken plates to make jewelry, these would be perfect for that! And it's a nice way to recycle stuff.
Quentin РЯЕUVOТ 6 years ago
You cannot say that. This croissant seams industrial :) but the rest of the table is lovely
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#10
Victorian Art Glass Vase From The Second Half Of The 19th Century
It has an applied trail of blue rigaree citrine glass trailing around the vase and lovely silver design of a branch with flowers, leaves and acorns.
Final score:
189points
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Yes, 100% :D It truly is a stunning find, I use it as a vase for flowers.
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
It's a truly beautiful piece, I use it as a vase for flowers
Load More Replies... Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
It's one of my favorite finds :)
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Maybe someday, but for now, I'll use it as a vase :)
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Mohammad Irani 6 years ago
Which sea are you looking at?! These are not typical finds on the beach!
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Adriatic sea (Slovenia).. in the past (200, 100 years ago) Italian ships would come to this spot and dump trash. Over the years, the mud and the sand covered the trash. Now, after a storm, many pieces like glass bottles, pottery plates, silverware... wash up on the beach.
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#11
Cobalt Blue Bottle With A Moon And A Star
It was probably once used for powders.
Final score:
181points
Alexandru Bucur 6 years ago
This is definitely an apothecary bottle of some description, because, at the time, cobalt-blue bottles like this were typically used for poisonous substances. The star-and-crescent would suggest Turkey, but of course, it was a widely used symbol, specifically because it suggested "oriental-ness". For all we know, this bottle could have been made in down-town Graz...
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Thank you! I didn't know that!
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
This piece is truly one of my favorite ones!
Load More Replies... #12
Found This Stunning Blue Piece The Other Day
Final score:
177points
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I agree, maybe if it was a smaller piece :)
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#13
The Bottle With Healing Water Made From The Melissa Herb
This beautiful bottle, with the words "Melissa Dei C Scalzi" on one side and "Venezia" on the other, is the famous "l’Acqua di Melissa". I have contacted the so-called barefoot Carmelite Fathers of the Venetian Province and they have told me that this bottle was made in the early 1800s
Final score:
167points
Nadine Elizabeth Gibbons 6 years ago
It looks like the stopper was pushed right in and is in the bottom
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Yes, the original cork top is still trapped inside :)
Load More Replies... Sofia Bellavista 6 years ago
As a Thames mudlarker myself I'm so jealous of your beautiful findings! This one would make it to my display if I found it!
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I love displaying my finds in my craft room :D
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Ankaran, Slovenia :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s14jToPvoQg
Load More Replies... #14
More Sea Shells!
Final score:
167points
Full Name 6 years ago
I think you need to Google Image what seashells look like, hon.
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Vlad Horobet 6 years ago
Some of them seem to have some man-made drawings and patterns on them
Bunny Lady 6 years ago
Looks like an assortment of jelly sweets! Or is that just my greedy mind?
Jill Stevenson 6 years ago
those don't look like seashells, those look like broken pieces of bottles, pottery, or sea glass.
#15
Glass Stamps From 200-Year-Old Maraschino Bottles
Final score:
165points
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
These are from the same type of bottles but different makers.
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I understand that it's hard to imagine finding all these things on the beach... In the past (200, 100 years ago) Italian ships would come to this spot and dump trash. Over the years, the mud and the sand covered the trash. Now, after a storm, many pieces like glass bottles, pottery plates, silverware... wash up on the beach :)
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Douglas Campbell 6 years ago
How are you dating this this bottle as 200 years old? All Luxardo Maraschino bottles are embossed 1821, even the bottles produced today. 330px-Luxa...fa073b.jpg 
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Maraschino bottles were from different makes, the one I found was not from Luxardo but Cosmacendi. The Museum had told me the estimate of when was it made, but they also don't know because there is no proof of this particular design and stamp existing.
Load More Replies... #16
When You Find A Rainbow Sea Glass Piece On The Beach
Final score:
139points
#17
Blue, Green, Aqua, Turquoise, Seafoam, Navy... So Many Shades Of The Rare Color Blue
Final score:
139points
Left Twix 6 years ago
This reminds me of a beach near my grandparents place in Japan. There's always thousands of pieces of unique types of glass. Nobody knows where they came from...
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
So cool! How do they not know where is it all from?
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#18
So Tiny, So Colorful, So Cute
Final score:
138points
#19
Luigi Dejak Beer Bottle From The 19th Century
Final score:
133points
Alexandru Bucur 6 years ago
Pola, which is now in the next country... Still amazes me how diverse the old Austro-Hungarian Empire was... which is why it ever stood a chance in the modern day. Just before the war, in 1912-13, the House of Deputies had to be dissolved twice, because delegates of different ethnicities (which each spoke their own language as a point of pride and there were no translators) would start fighting on the floor of the chamber and pull all kinds of shenanigans to impede their opponents, such as the Czech Radicals showing up one day with a small steam engine attached to a whistle from a locomotive. It was said that the citizens of Vienna, who could attend the sessions, would consider it better than the circus...
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Thank you for taking the time to write this, I love learning more about these pieces and the history behind them!
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Sophie Warner 6 years ago
I love the way it has aged in the seas! The patina it has gained is unique. Please don't clean it! It is so much more beautiful just as it is!
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Did not clean it, it's truly beautiful they way it is :)
Load More Replies... #20
Old Pharmacy Bottles
The number showed the amount of millilitres in the bottle
Final score:
125points
Megan Obrien 6 years ago
The green bottle should have a bright fluorescent glow under black light-commonly referred to as "Vaseline glass" or "uranium glass"
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
I definitely should try this, thank you for the idea!
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Blue Cicada 6 years ago
The origins of the metric system date back to 1799, in the time of the French Revolution.
Load More Replies... #21
150+ Years Old Stamp From A Luxardo Maraschino Bottle Zara
Final score:
120points
#22
Vintage Nail Polish Bottle With A Little Bit Of The Original Nail Polish
The liquid dried up but it still trapped inside.
Final score:
115points
#23
Half Of A French Plate From The 1860s
Final score:
114points
Douglas Campbell 6 years ago
The style looks to be transfer English blue flow. Is it stamped 'fabriqué en France'?
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
On the back it has a French pottery mark/stamp :)
Load More Replies... #24
Bullet!
The 8×52mmR Mannlicher cartridge was first introduced in 1888 for the Mannlicher M1888 rifle. It was made in and also used by the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1888 to 1890.
Final score:
114points
Alexandru Bucur 6 years ago
Hah. I have one of those as well, from 1891 (and yes, that makes it pretty rare, because this kind of ammunition was theoretically superseded by the "M.1890 scharfe Patrone" 8X50R semi-smokeless round one year earlier, but obviously they kept producing them for at least a bit longer), found in the ditch of the "Alba Carolina" fortress in Alba Iulia. It's weird to think that, until 100 years ago, we would have been in the same country, to the extent that, when my great-grandfather fought the Italians in the Isonzo Campaign, one of the battles he took part in was that of Caporetto, which is now Kobarid in Slovenia...
#25
Sometimes Searching For Tiny Treasures Leads You To A Treasure Chest Full Of Gold
.
Final score:
111points
#26
Beautiful Texture On This Glass Bottle Bottom
Final score:
109points
Sofia Bellavista 6 years ago
You have a great eye for details, for aesthetics and photography! Well done!!
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Thank you so much! Truly means a lot!
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#27
Two Sided Sea Pottery Piece
Final score:
107points
#28
Surprise! I'm Engaged To The Beach
Final score:
104points
theo james 6 years ago
🎶the sailors say brandi you're a fine girl what a good wife you would be!🎶
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
It's the top part of a bottle :)
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Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
It's in Ankaran, Slovenia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s14jToPvoQg
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#29
German Clay Mineral Water Bottles From 1860s
Final score:
101points
Nadine Elizabeth Gibbons 6 years ago
I wonder if this is where the name alka seltzer comes from - the dry powder added to water to ease the stomach and sooth the head.
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Maybe! Never thought of that :)
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#30
Victorian Rummer Glass
Final score:
100points
Alexandru Bucur 6 years ago
It's an interesting thing that we ended up calling objects from the late 19th century "Victorian" generically, even though here, in the ol' K.u.K. Empire, we had Emperor Franz Joseph at the time and queen Vicky was a ways away... But then again "Josephian" doesn't really roll off the tongue, so maybe it's for the best?
Nadine Elizabeth Gibbons 6 years ago
They may have tried Jovian as an era title.
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#31
Stunning Sea Glass Piece With The Number 150 On It
Final score:
99points
Kaisu Rei 6 years ago
Not only are your findings gorgeous but the photography is beautiful as well!
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Thank you so much! It truly means a lot!
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#32
This Blue Sea Glass Piece Reminds Me Of Bubble Wrap
Final score:
79points
#33
Embossing On The Seal Says: Romano Vlahov Zara
Final score:
79points
Alexandru Bucur 6 years ago
Apparently, people in that area drank a lot of Marashino liquor back in the day...
Qrama Sörensen 6 years ago
Maybe a shipment with lost cargo or it perhaps it sank nearby.
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Franka Šiško 6 years ago
Zara (nowadays Zadar) is city in Croatia on the coast of Adriatic sea, famous for cherry "maraska" which is used in producing of liquor "Maraschino" . "Vlahov" is kind of herbal liquor. They are still producing and they are still delicious!
#34
Shell In A Shell In A Shell
Final score:
77points
#35
Collecting Beautiful Sea Glass For New Unique Pieces
Final score:
75points
#36
Searching For Sea Glass Is Just Like Searching For Rare Sea Treasures
Final score:
74points
Hassini 6 years ago
Is it just me or does it kinda blend into the hand, and the middle one looks like a cut...?
Sarah Brinsfield 6 years ago
Red glass has gold particles in the formula. That is why it is so extremely rare to find it because it was expensive to make.
#37
M Like Maristella - Beautiful Sea Pottery Piece
Final score:
61points
Sophie Warner 6 years ago
Have you seen the work of a Scottish artist which was recently shown on Bored Panda (but now seems to have vanished, it was at "https://www.boredpanda.com/i-find-surf-tumbled-pottery-shards-on-the-beach-and-make-them-into-unique-pieces-of-artwork"), who turns shards of sea pottery into the inspiration & part of illustrations?
#38
Gorgeous Turquoise Sea Glass Piece
Final score:
60points
Janice Stohlman 6 years ago
where do you beach comb? i do not think you are in the USA. i like to go to sanibel, florida to search for treasures. i live on an island called galveston, texas. we also have shells, but no treasures like you have found. thank you for sharing.
Maristella (Submission author) 6 years ago
Hi! I'm from Ankaran, Slovenia - in the past (200, 100 years ago) Italian ships would come to this spot and dump trash. Over the years, the mud and the sand covered the trash. Now, after a storm, many pieces like glass bottles, pottery plates, silverware... wash up on the beach.
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Gary M. Climer 6 years ago
In Arkansas there aren't many beaches but there are a lot of creeks with a lot of hidden fossil treasures! and if you don't mind paying a few bucks there's one field where you can even pick up a Diamond. Still I'm pretty dam jealous that's some cool stuff.
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K. LNU 6 years ago
I am walking along the wrong beaches! lol I have found sea glass, but most of mine probably came from Budweiser or Corona bottles. (meh)
Mer 6 years ago
If I lived near a beach, beachcombing is all I would ever get done. You have no idea about what you'll find and the mystery of "that next great find" would drive nuts, lol. Gorgeous pieces and those teeny tiny shells are truly miracles made real.
Maristella (Post author) 6 years ago
I am on the beach everyday, till sunset :D As you said, the excitement and the "what will I find next?" really do have a huge impact.
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Bobbi Newell 6 years ago
I'm jealous that you have access to such an interesting beach, and am convinced that you live in some magic realm - the shells look like pieces of candy, the bottles remain intact, and even the shards retain their beauty! Ok seriously, it's awesome that you seek out all those lost treasures, and then take the time to find out their history. Thank you for sharing your finds with us!
Maristella (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the article and comment, it truly means a lot. It's a lot of fun not only searching for treasures like this but also learning more about the history of the pieces. Have a wonderful day!
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Candice Ravel 6 years ago
I found a breast implant at the shoreline during a beach cleanup. My first thought was I wonder what happened to the rest of her. I literally got the booby prize for weirdest item found that day, lol!
Sunzilla 6 years ago
I've never seen anything such as these on South African beaches. To have a treasure trove like this you need to scour beaches of old countries where people have lived next to the see for hundreds of years. Consider yourself lucky. xx
Maristella (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you! I am very lucky indeed :)
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Krystine Patterson 6 years ago
Maristella, I love this post, probably the best I've seen in a while. Thank you so much for sharing these treasures
FloC 6 years ago
It is very poetic that you see the beauty in all those little pieces of glass. I like the arrangement you made for the photos as well.
Diver Driver 6 years ago
I love walking the surf and I agree with your comments really every find is a treasure.
K. LNU 6 years ago
I am walking along the wrong beaches! lol I have found sea glass, but most of mine probably came from Budweiser or Corona bottles. (meh)
Mer 6 years ago
If I lived near a beach, beachcombing is all I would ever get done. You have no idea about what you'll find and the mystery of "that next great find" would drive nuts, lol. Gorgeous pieces and those teeny tiny shells are truly miracles made real.
Maristella (Post author) 6 years ago
I am on the beach everyday, till sunset :D As you said, the excitement and the "what will I find next?" really do have a huge impact.
Load More Replies... Bobbi Newell 6 years ago
I'm jealous that you have access to such an interesting beach, and am convinced that you live in some magic realm - the shells look like pieces of candy, the bottles remain intact, and even the shards retain their beauty! Ok seriously, it's awesome that you seek out all those lost treasures, and then take the time to find out their history. Thank you for sharing your finds with us!
Maristella (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the article and comment, it truly means a lot. It's a lot of fun not only searching for treasures like this but also learning more about the history of the pieces. Have a wonderful day!
Load More Replies... Candice Ravel 6 years ago
I found a breast implant at the shoreline during a beach cleanup. My first thought was I wonder what happened to the rest of her. I literally got the booby prize for weirdest item found that day, lol!
Sunzilla 6 years ago
I've never seen anything such as these on South African beaches. To have a treasure trove like this you need to scour beaches of old countries where people have lived next to the see for hundreds of years. Consider yourself lucky. xx
Maristella (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you! I am very lucky indeed :)
Load More Replies... Krystine Patterson 6 years ago
Maristella, I love this post, probably the best I've seen in a while. Thank you so much for sharing these treasures
FloC 6 years ago
It is very poetic that you see the beauty in all those little pieces of glass. I like the arrangement you made for the photos as well.
Diver Driver 6 years ago
I love walking the surf and I agree with your comments really every find is a treasure.
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