Sea glass and beach glass are similar but come from different types of waters. "Sea glass" is physically and chemically weathered glass found on beaches along bodies of salt water. These weathering processes produce natural frosted glass. "Genuine sea glass" can be collected as a hobby and is used for decoration, most commonly in jewelry. "Beach glass" comes from fresh water and in most cases has a different pH balance and a less frosted appearance than sea glass. Sea glass takes 20 to 40 years, and sometimes as much as 100 to 200 years, to acquire its characteristic texture and shape. It is also colloquially referred to as "drift glass" from the longshore drift process that forms the smooth edges. In practice, the two terms are used interchangeably.
