Identifying dark purple small bottle lip sea glass?

by tony
(long island ny)

Dark Purple Small Bottle Lip Sea Glass

Dark Purple Small Bottle Lip Sea Glass

I found these two small pieces of dark purple sea glass during a trip to Cape Ann Mass this week. I was out there during the rain and wind storm. They were found yards apart. They appear to be a small bottle lip and are violet/dark purple in color. I am curious as to possible origin?

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Jul 10, 2017
 Purple sea glass
by: Stacy

I am from Gloucester and have been collecting these imsulator pieces for a long time. I find at least 5 per day. They are my favorite.
Mar 19, 2017
 Other colors as well
by: Julie

Yes, these are insulators from light bulbs and they also come in colors other than the deep purple. I have some in brown, olive and cobalt blue. I have many whole ones and they come in different shape and sizes. It's always a fun find.
Mar 12, 2017
 Dark purple insulator in Hawaii
by: Sandyhandsseaglass

I recently found a dark purple insulator here in Hawaii.

I see alot of people get them near lake Erie or on the East coast.

What the heck is it doing all the way over here in the islands.

Any info would be great!
Jan 31, 2017
 IT'S AN INSULATOR !!!!!!!!!
by: John

It is a insulator, me and my wife find them all over. I think we must have at least 200 but never found one whole.
John
Apr 02, 2016
 Dark Purple electrical fuse insulator
by: Susan

Does anyone have a picture of one complete, and maybe a time frame of existence. I have found 2 pieces here in Nova Scotia March 2016
Sep 05, 2015
 Deep Purple
by: squidwrd

Well this will throw you east coast glass hunters for a trip:

I am in California and i just found a piece of glass with great interest.

So I decided to look on the web for rare purple glass low and behold the first picture i saw were the two pictures above which are almost identical to the piece that is in my hand now.

Not sure what it is from but they exist on the west coast too. im just wondering if they were ever just 1 piece :) wouldn't that be a trip?
Jan 26, 2015
 fuse bases
by: Amanda

The tiny purple pieces are indeed insulator bottoms from old electrical fuses.

I have several pieces that I found here in Newfoundland Canada.

I also have almost a round piece somewhere in my collection.
Jan 23, 2014
 New purple glass
by: Anonymous

I have just started collecting. I found one on a beach in Guam yesterday.
Dec 29, 2013
 Prince Edward Island-Canada
by: Phyllis

I have been collecting sea glass for approximately 20 years and have several pieces of the dark purple small lip sea glass.

I have a sea glass book and it isn't mentioned in it so have been keeping them anyway as they are very pretty when you look through them in the light, otherwise they look black.

Great info!

I have so much sea glass that I started to make jewelery, wine glass charms, christmas tree ornaments, centerpieces, bracelet charms and anklets.
Oct 17, 2012
 purple seaglass
by: nicole

In the past 4 years I have found 4 of them and my friend found 2 all on bayhead beach nj they all look like the piece pictured to the right
Feb 05, 2011
 ditto!
by: Anonymous

I've been collecting sea glass in that area all my life.

I have 4 brothers and sisters that are much much much much older than me (sorry siblings, could not resist)

Anyway, I started finding those about three years ago and had no idea what they were. None of us did.

And, I've only found them on one beach there.

Are we all on the same beach here?
Sep 25, 2010
 Me too!
by: Anonymous

I found the same thing along Cape Ann yesterday!

The colour was so dense that they looked like rocks & didn't have transparency when held out to the sun but since they had a glass *feel* and one of them had a lip to it, I brought them home.

They're black until you hold them up to a bright artificial light and the edge where they had been ground more was transparent enough to show a deep purple/burgundy colour.

They have to be some of the best finds yet after a decade of the treasure hunt.
Sep 04, 2010
 Dark purple glass
by: Lisa

Kelly is right Tony, these are insulators of some sort. I saw one for sale on ebay and I have some pieces and I have a whole one. All mine are black glass (black amethyst) great find!!!
Sep 04, 2010
 Insulators
by: Sarah

These are indeed insulators (from light bulbs and other electronic applications). I have a few in my own collection; I live on Cape Ann.

I showed one to Richard LaMotte in Erie last October. It had a bubble deep inside, and he said that it had to be at least 100 years old.
Aug 31, 2010
 Purple Sea Glas
by: Kelly Thaden

I have been told that these pieces are parts of insulators. I have found quite a few just like this and have also found some in cobalt blue that are the same shape. Just not sure what kind of insulators they are.
Aug 29, 2010
 Purple bottle lips
by: Sue

I looked in my Sea Glass book and saw that purple and amethyst colored glass is very rare. Looks like you found a treasure. Not sure what kind of bottles, though.

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