Have you ever gone walking on the beach and noticed a speck of bright blue, purple, or pink among the shells? If you have, chances are you stumbled upon some natural sea glass. With the right imagination and creativity, this interesting material can go on to become gorgeous sea glass jewelry. However, this rare material is much more than an accessory in your closet. Natural sea glass is a lot more interesting than many people realize.

If you’re looking at sea glass bracelets or other forms of genuine sea glass jewelry, then you may be looking to learn more about this gift from Mother Nature. Here are five of our favorite fun facts about sea glass.

• Sea glass is also known as Mermaid Tears
  Even though this may sound like a sad name, there’s nothing sad about these beautiful gemstones! They were simply named this because of their iridescent color and the multiple different hues they can be found in.
• Hobbyists who love sea glass can become part of a larger organization
  Interestingly enough, those who love to craft and DIY can become a member of the North American Sea Glass Association. This professional group became a formal organization in 2007 and now has around 90 members with one thing in common: they love homemade sea glass jewelry.
• Some colors are rarer than others
  Because of the amount of colored glass made in the past, some colors of sea glass are much rarer than others. For example, soft green glass is found about once every 50 to 100 pieces, while purple, citron, or orange is only found once every 200 to 1,000 pieces.
• Sea glass and beach glass are not the same
  While the different types of beach glass and sea glass can look similar, they are not the same. Sea glass is formed in salt water, but beach glass is created in freshwater.
• Your sea glass may have started out as a marble
  Back in the old days, a lot of boats used glass marbles to balance the weight of ships. Once the ship got to shore, the marbles were frequently tossed overboard. While they may have once been smooth and round, they could become broken and jagged during their time sloshing in the sea. Eventually, these marbles would wash ashore as gorgeous sea glass.

Before purchasing sea glass jewelry as a gift — either for a loved one or for yourself! — consider these facts. The next time you wear a piece of genuine sea glass jewelry, remember how wonderful this material truly is. Your small gemstone has quite the history behind it, and each piece has its own story to tell!