A FROME resident is turning recycled ocean trash into a jewellery business, Finley Vowles writes.

Sophie Witt, who was born and raised in Frome, recently turned her beachcombing hobby into a successful jewellery business.

She wanders the high tide line and collects interesting objects and fragments, a hobby which has grown in popularity recently.

She then undergoes the process of creating bespoke jewellery with her finds, mainly using sea glass she finds washed up due to its smooth texture and vibrant colour.

The jewellery Sophie makes is sold through the company that she founded, Bahari Blu.

The jewellery always uses recycled materials, as the company was set up in a way to not further deplete the earth's resources.

Her first set of bespoke jewellery using washed-up sea glass also used 100 per cent recycled sterling silver – a testament to the ethics of the company.

All of Sophie’s designs are inspired by the shapes of seaweed, shells and other fragments she finds during her beachcombing travels, when asked what her favourite part of the process is, she said: “My favourite part is dreaming up new designs and bringing them to life.

“Each piece of sea glass is uniquely shaped, and I draw endless inspiration from the sites I see along the shoreline.

"Beachcombing is a wonderful excuse to spend many hours of my free time by the sea - I find the process so therapeutic and peaceful.”

Sophie now uses the treasures she has spent her life collecting creating different ocean-inspired pieces from her home-based studio.