Sea beans are drift beans that grow on tropical vines, most commonly in Central and South American forests.  The beans are shed, and during the rainy season are washed out rivers to the sea and carried northward by ocean currents.  They have shiny outer coatings which make them impervious to sea water – trapping air, creating buoyancy.  As the beans journey up the Gulfstream, some float on to our Florida beaches - the rest continue north and over to Europe.

         All of the sea beans were collected by my husband Scot and me from the beaches of Hollywood, Dania and Fort Lauderdale.  The few yellow nickerbeans that we found were from Abaco, Bahamas.  Grey nickerbean vines grow on many Florida beach dunes.  Drift beans usually lie right on top of the sand or seaweeds, but may be partially buried.  Finding them takes a good eye, a lot of walking and, of course, good luck.

         Each sea bean is matched to the piece by its distinctive coloring.  Only the most shiny and beautiful are chosen and used in their natural condition – not polished.  Along with the sea beans, I search for other natural materials: wood, shell, horn, semi-precious gems, crystals and pearls to incorporate into each jewelry piece.  All items are my own unique design and reflect my love of what nature produces.