Hanby students are amazed at the precision of a tiny hole cut through sea glass by a diamond drill bit.
Sea glass artist Cindy Kuhn, who resides in Gahanna, shared her unique talent with students at Hanby Elementary School on October 11. Until her visit, many of the students (and adults) didn’t even know what sea glass was. She explained that as one walks along the shore of a lake, river or ocean, hidden amidst the sand, rocks, pebbles and shells that litter the shoreline are small, colorful bits of glass which have been polished smooth and rounded over many years by the action of the wind, sand and sea. These pieces are called beach glass, sea glass or mermaid tears. The process of transforming broken glass from sharp, angular shards into beautiful frosted jewels is estimated to take anywhere from 15 to 60 years. Over her lifetime, Kuhn has amassed a great collection of such sea glass, which she has transformed into unique pieces of jewelry. She also was a founding member of the North American Sea Glass Association (NASGA), and served on its board from inception to 2008.
Kuhn spent the day with fourth graders at Hanby as part of a science unit. Each group of students got to learn about the history, composition and colors of sea glass. They learned how to differentiate between real and faux sea glass, and they also had the opportunity to check out the diamond drill bit that Kuhn uses to drill holes in the glass for her jewelry. At the conclusion of the unit, every child made their own sea glass necklace.
Finding these gems is not easy. It takes a trained eye to spot the bits of glass, which can be as small as 5 mm. Kuhn’s best advice for sea glass collectors is to be persistent. “Pick up anything that looks like it might be a bit of glass,” she said. “Enjoy your time along the shore, pay attention to the sound of the sea and be aware of the blessing you are experiencing as you stroll along searching for beach glass. You will come away renewed, even if you pockets aren’t overflowing with sea glass.”
For further information about Cindy Kuhn and her jewelry, please visit www.tearsfromthedeep.com. To learn more about NASGA, check out www.seaglassassociation.org.