I have collected beach glass for over 21 years on the north shore of Lake Erie, and during those 21 years I have learned that some colours are definitely much more rare than others.  After reviewing several versions of sea glass rarity rank charts, I noticed that there are some discrepancies between these charts and the colours of glass that I personally find washed in along the beaches of Lake Erie.  I understand that the colours on other rarity charts have been carefully considered, but I believe that beach glass rarity ratings are regionally-based, as some colours are more rare, and some colours more common, depending on what body of water the glass comes from.

It should be noted that many colours (especially the rare ones), fall under the same rank as other charts, however, there are a few colours that have either been upgraded or downgraded in this Lake Erie rarity rank.

In several cases, the same number rank is given to different colours.  This is because they fall under the same rank level (it's not a typo!).. :)

I have recently added photos under some of the colour descriptions for a visual reference.  I would have liked to have added more, but unfortunately Ebay only allows 10 photos per guide, so I have used my 10 photo limit to highlight some of the rarer or trickier colours. 

Sooo... based on my extensive knowledge of beach glass from Lake Erie's north shore, here is my own Beach/Sea Glass Colour Rarity Rank (in descending order from Extremely Rare to Very Common):

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1.  Orange:       This is a universally rare colour.  I have found only 2 pieces of true orange in 4 years of intensive searching (every day); and 17 years of not-so-intense searching (when I was around to beachcomb on a nice summer day).  A true orange piece is very rare, and sometimes can be confused with a light Honey Amber piece.  A true orange piece is a very bright, vibrant colour, whereas honey amber has more of a brown/brassy tint to it.  I have compared the two in the photo below to show you the difference (true orange on the left, honey amber on the right):

2.  Turquoise:       This is a true turquoise.  I have noticed that some sellers refer to an aquamarine piece as turquoise, but a true turqoise piece is very rare, and most experienced sellers and beachcombers will only have a handful of pieces in this colour (if any).  Turquoise is more of an icy blue, whereas aquamarine is a softer, blue-green colour.   Personally, I have only come across 3 pieces of true turquoise after 4 years of intensive searching (every day), and 17 years of not-so-intensive searching (when I was around to beachcomb on a nice summer day).   

I don't know if I will ever be able to part with my 3 turquoise shards because their colours are so captivating... As you can see in the photo below, turquoise shards are quite vibrant, and with this photo you can see the difference between true turquoise (a colder blue) and aquamarine (a warmer blue-green -  photo shown a bit further down the page). 

3.  Red:       Again, this is a universally rare colour.  I find a red piece probably once every 3 months or so with intensive searches conducted almost every day for the past four years.  The pieces that I find tend to be on the tiny side, and many are textured (since they were probably old lights from boating vessels before plastic became the norm).

4.  Pink:     Of the rarer colours, this is one that I find most often; probably having found 15 pieces or so of "cotton candy" pink after 4 years of intensive searches.  Pink also tends to end up as larger shards (as opposed to red or yellow). 

5.  Yellow:     I have found approximately 25 or so yellows in the last 4 years of intensive searching.  Yellow is also referred to as "Dandelion", and more pale versions, as "Lemonade" in my glass auctions.

5.  Teal:      Approximately 25 or so shards in true Teal have been found after 3 years of every-day searches.  A deep teal shard still manages to take my breath away when I find one - the colour is that magnificent.  An example of a deep teal piece can be seen in the centre of the photo here.

6: Black:      This colour has shown up on shore about 30 times in the past 4 years of searching.  It is possible that it is more common, since black is the most difficult colour to detect (as it camoflauges in with the rocks very well).  Most black shards that I have found seem to be larger (greater than dime size), quite thick, and when held up to a light, show a very dark olive or violet colour and a bubble or two inside. 

While not the most desirable colour for sea glass enthusiasts, these shards are probably the oldest of any, most likely dating back 100-300 years!  If any shard could tell their story, these are the ones that I would most like to hear!  :)

6.  Grey:      Grey is equivalent to Black in the north shore rarity rank (about 30 pieces in the last 4 years of intensive search efforts).  Some grey pieces can almost take on a lavender appearance upon first look, but when held side by side with a lavender shard, the grey hue becomes more apparent.  Darker, more intense shades of grey are called "Charcoal" in my glass auctions, and lighter, less intense versions are referred to as "Smoke".

7.  Citron:      Although this antique bottle colour is still in production today (wine bottles, etc.), surprisingly, I don't come across it as often as one would expect.  The pieces that I do find are usually very thin, shiny, and new (and are therefore tossed back into the lake to continue their weathering process).  I have found a nicely frosted, jewelry quality citron-coloured piece approximately 50 times in the last 4 years of intensive beach searches.  I also refer to citron as "Mossy Yellow" in my glass auctions.

7.  Aquamarine:     This is the deep, aqua shade of beach glass, sometimes confused with turquoise.  Aquamarine is more of a blue-green colour.  Again, this colour is still readily produced today (liquor and other beverage bottles), and I usually find about 10 shards per week.  Having said that, I usually collect only 1-2 pieces of aquamarine per week, and that is because that many of those pieces that I find each week are somewhat new, with a less weathered look, and a shiny side or two.  I usually toss these newer shards back into the lake with the hopes that in a decade or two, they will wash back ashore for a new generation of sea glass enthusiasts to collect and admire.  I also refer to this colour in my glass auctions as "Robins Egg", a more fitting colour description!  :)

8.  Lavender:      This colour ranges from Grape to Amethyst.  Since white/clear glass can turn to lavender after prolonged UV sun exposure, I find lavender shards approximately 3 times per week while conducting daily beach searches.  The darker, more intense lavenders are included in my assorted glass auctions, while the more pale lavenders (probably the shards that were orginally white/clear) are used in my Pale Pastel auctions.

9.  Mint:     I usually find mint about 5 times per week, searching once to twice daily.  In my glass auctions, I also refer to this colour as "Peppermint", or, if it's a bit darker, "Seafoam".

10.  Cornflower:     This colour is usually found approximately 10 times per week.  This is another colour that tends to be found in tiny pieces, usually dime-sized or smaller.

11.  Cobalt:     The number of cobalt pieces that have washed in over the years is difficult to guess; however I would say that 1 in every 100 pieces of glass found would be cobalt. Similar to cornflower, cobalt is yet another colour that seems to wash in in very tiny pieces.  The larger pieces (greater than dime-size) that I am fortunate enough to find are usually very chipped, or have at least one shiny side, indicating that the glass mass-produced in this colour was quite brittle.

12.  Honey Amber:      The number of Honey Amber shards that have washed in over the years again is quite difficult to hazard a guess, but if I had to, I would estimate that 1 in every 60 pieces of glass found would be Honey Amber.  This colour is a bit of an oddity on the north shore, since almost all of the pieces that I find in Honey Amber are quite thin and delicate (usually 2 mm in height or less), and have very little or no "frosting" on the surface.  I also refer to this colour in my glass auctions as "Squash" or, if it's almost orange, "Pumpkin".

13.  Soft Blue:     I would estimate 1 in every 60 pieces of glass found would fall under this category.  The easiest way to distinguish between a white or soft blue piece is to place it in water.  If the piece has a distinct blue hue when wet,  but then when dried it looks white, then this shard would be considered Soft Blue.  Most of the soft blue pieces that I find are used in my Pale Pastel auctions. 

14.  Lime:      Approximately 1 in every 50 pieces of glass found on the north shore is lime.  This colour is also referred to as "Electric Lime" in my glass auctions.  I call it "electric", because if you are lucky enough during your beach search to find a shard in this colour that is still wet from the surf, it glows like a neon light against the dark backdrop of the sand and pebbles... a very neat beach glass phenomenon indeed!

14.  Olive:      Approximately 1 in every 50 pieces of glass found on the north shore is olive.  Olive is a colour that has a wide variety of hues, mostly based on the thickness of the glass.   Shades of olive can range all the way from black up to a light sage.

14.  Emerald:      Approximately 1 in every 50 pieces of glass found on the north shore is emerald.  Emerald is an odd sea glass colour, as it is falls somewhere in the middle of the sea glass spectrum.  It is darker than the more common Kelly Green, but lighter than a typical Olive piece.  A true emerald piece is a deep, vibrant green, very much like the precious gem stone by the same name!

15.  Brown:     Approximately 1 in every 10 pieces found is brown (also called "Chestnut" in my beach glass auctions).

15.  Kelly Green:      Approximately 1 in every 10 pieces found is Kelly Green (also called "Grass" in my auctions).

16.  White (Clear):      This is universally the most common colour of beach glass out there, regardless of what body of water you are on.  Chances of finding white are excellent, with 1 in every 3 pieces of glass found being white.

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So there you have it, the North Shore Beach/Sea Glass Colour Rarity Rank.  Hopefully this guide will assist you in your selection and purchase of beach/sea glass from Lake Erie. 

I encourage other sea glass enthusiasts to write their own Rarity Rank guides, as I think it would be quite interesting to see the fluctuations in sea glass colour rank based on geography.  

If you have enjoyed reading this guide and found it to be helpful, please click on the "Yes" button just below, so others can continue to be helped by this guide.

Thanks so much for reading!