Sea Isle City, New Jersey
One shore, twenty years, five pairs of hands
Family Tides is not a brand that found a story. It is a family that found stones.
FAMILY PHOTO — the whole family on the beach
Where it started
Nick and Alana met in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, more than twenty years ago. It was a summer town then and it still is — the same streets, the same sand, the same light dropping behind the dunes. That beach became the place the family keeps returning to.
FAMILY PHOTO — Nick and Alana, Sea Isle City
STONE SORTING — buckets and pockets
Three daughters and a full bucket
Our girls collect faster than we can carry. Every walk ends with pockets full and a debate about the best find of the day. We started bringing a bucket, then a bigger one.
At the house everything gets rinsed on the porch and laid out on a towel to dry. That is when the choosing happens — weight in the palm, an even surface the water has finished, and the way a wet stone catches the light. Most go back to the beach. A few stay.
Made at the kitchen table
The keepers get wrapped or set by hand, one at a time. There are no molds, no castings, no repeats. Because a stone exists once, every piece exists once. When it is claimed, it moves into our archive and stays there.
The hearts
We find naturally heart-shaped stones more often than anyone believes. We never carve them, shape them, or help them along — the break happens at the right angle and the surf does the rest. They became the signature of everything we make.
See Heart TidesWhat we promise
- Every stone is hand-collected by our family. Nothing is bought or imported.
- Every piece is one of one, with quantity capped at a single unit.
- Stone types are described as likely identifications, never lab-confirmed claims.
- Materials are named honestly — gold-tone plated, sterling silver, or gold-filled.
Early access to the next drop
One email before every drop. New pieces are usually claimed the same day.