Bottled Up Designs, a line of jewellery created from broken glass was founded in 2008 by Laura Bergman.  An avid bottle and glass collector, she has spent a great deal of time going through glass and bottle dumps in various habitats and farmlands in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country, where she has lived her entire life.  One thing which has always bothered her was the fact that most collectors prefer whole bottles and pieces, leaving broken ones scattered in the environment. 

One day, while walking her dogs in the woods, a fawn caught the scent of Laura and ran away.  Unfortunately, it was lying on a bed of broken glass.  Laura realized then that she needed to do something – to get the glass of the habitat.  She also didn’t want the glass to go into the garbage systems, so she decided to do something with the pieces.  Turning them into jewellery, making each piece “wearable art,” was a great way for Laura to share with people its history. 

The Bottled Up Designs collection consists of pendants and earrings, all made from broken glass pieces. Each piece comes with a “Story behind the Glass,” telling wearers the history of the piece, including where the glass comes from.  Many of the pieces come from glass which is over 50 years old.  For example, the ruby glass (right) comes from a line of dishes sold in during the Depression.  It was later used for bottling by a beer company.

Since every piece is hand-made, expect them to be unique.  While pieces will look similar, like snowflakes, no one is the same.  Currently, Bottled Up Designs is available for sale online, with prices ranging in the $40-$65 US.