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Colours of the Beach

Colours of the Beach
An exhibition of glass bead necklaces made from found beach glass

Colours of the Beach is more than a jewellery collection — it is a quiet act of storytelling and reclamation. This project traces the forgotten history of the Firth of Forth’s southern shoreline, from South Queensferry to Cockenzie, a stretch once marked by heavy industry, waste dumping, and working harbours. Today, its beaches still carry the traces — not only in rusting piers or broken brick, but in the small, wave-worn fragments of glass scattered along the shore.

As an artist based in Leith, where the industrial past still shapes the present, I set out to collect glass from nine different beaches along this coastline. For the exhibition, I created a collection of necklaces made from these found pieces, transformed through the traditional lamp-working process — a technique using a gas torch to melt and shape the glass into individual beads. Each bead was handmade, each necklace unique, echoing the distinct character of the beach where the glass was found.

The works were not just adornment. They were artefacts — made from what was once discarded, now reimagined. All 9 necklaces were displayed alongside hand-embroidered maps marking where the glass was collected. The maps were based on historical documents dated between 1885 and 1971, a nod to the possible origins of the glass and the long passage of time that brought it to shore.

None of these necklaces are for sale but commissions using glass collected from these beaches are available. Please contact me for more details.

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