Spotlight Artist: Sophie Witt

U.K.-based jewelry artist Sophie Witt works with sea glass and recycled sterling silver. Sophie’s passion for beachcombing was instilled in her by her grandpa, who fondly referred to it as “treasure hunting.”

Together, they would wander the high tide line of the Indian Ocean along the Kenyan Coast where her grandparents lived, stooping to examine the miniature worlds held in each rock pool.

Sophie’s deep connection to the sea continued when her family relocated from the U.K. to Mallorca, an idyllic Mediterranean island, when she was seven years old. The ensuing six years were a kaleidoscope of exploration, from hidden rocky coves to picnics on remote beaches, all under the backdrop of a Mediterranean sky. Her coastal upbringing imprinted a profound love for all things sea-themed and sun-drenched within her, and it is now the inspiration for her handmade beachcombing jewelry business, Bahari Blu.

Sophie has a vast collection of sea glass of all shapes, colors and sizes, and enjoys dreaming up creative ways to include it in her jewelry. She also collects other small objects from the beach, such as fragments of broken coral and cuttlefish skeletons, which she uses to capture natural patterns and cast in sterling silver.

“I love finding surf-tumbled sea glass on the beach to include in my jewelry designs, as it means that each piece is truly unique, and holds its own story after spending years beneath the ocean’s waves,” says Sophie.

Now based in London and far away from her favorite beachcombing pastime, Sophie frequently seeks out new sea glass hunting locations. Last November, she traveled to a beach known among the sea glass hunting community, Seaham Beach in County Durham, England.

“When your small business is dependent on genuine sea glass (not tumbled glass sometimes sold as sea glass) it means getting up at 5 am on a weekend and driving six hours to a beach on the North English coast to look for more,” Sophie said of the trip. “A few weekends ago, I headed to Seaham. It is known for its sea glass, as in the 1870s there was a glass factory, which used to tip all its excess glass into the sea. Over 150 years later pieces of multicolored glass rubbed smooth by the waves are still being washed ashore.”

Other than the joy of beachcombing itself, Sophie’s favorite part of the jewelry making process is dreaming up new designs with the treasures she finds on the beach. Sophie shows lots of behind-the-scenes views of her beachcombing adventures on Instagram, YouTube, and her website at www.bahariblu.com.

This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 43 July/August 2024.

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