I can hardly wait to introduce you to my friend, Norvell. Known as the “South Pause Island Girl” on TikTok, she makes exquisite jewelry from Bahamian sea glass. From Virginia originally, she is fortunate enough to have a home on Guana Cay, part of the Abacos Islands in the Bahamas.
TikTok LIVE
We LOVE catching her “lives” online every morning. Online she shares the breathtaking views of the sun rising from her wraparound porch while enjoying her coffee. (She’s also shares the gorgeous sunsets with a cocktail and a concert right there on her deck!)
Collector
Norvell started collecting sea glass over 15 years ago on the island. Back then, it was far more abundant than it is now. She didn’t do anything with it until about 10 years ago when she saw a bracelet a neighbor had made, and she was hooked. She created a Facebook page and sold her work online and by word of mouth.
Auction Time
Then, after having been on Tik Tok for a year, she decided to take a chance and auction pieces of her jewelry during her live videos. It was a remarkable success, and she continues to auction her beautiful work weekly.
Her sunny personality is amusing and lively, as are the auctions. Unbelievably, we’ve witnessed grown women fighting over some of the pieces… It’s amazing to see how much interest and excitement grows for a seafoam green bracelet in only eight minutes!
Ideal Workspace
The more popular she became, the more space she required. She took over the kitchen – until her husband Mark said, “Enough!” He decided to build her a “little hut” that would be her own space to create her one-of-a-kind originals. She was elated!
Now, on her morning walks with Mark, she gathers all the sea glass herself so she can ensure quality and authenticity. She then happily heads to her workshop to get creative. (I swear I could live in that space…just sayin’…)
Sea Glass Creations
For Norvell, part of the fun is not knowing what colors she’ll find to work with from day to day. “What glass object might this gem have come from?” “How old is it?” She studied and learned that over time, often decades, broken pieces of glass that find their way into the ocean become weathered and smooth, gradually losing all shininess and sharp edges. The original item could have been an antique glass button or a piece of tableware hundreds of years old.
She uses sterling silver chains for the necklaces and makes bracelets and occasionally earrings, too. (White goes with everything, but I must say my favorite is the pale blue.)
Customers and Friends
Norvell shares that as a bonus, she has met some wonderful people through these auctions. Currently, the auctions are the only way she sells her sea glass jewelry. When she returns to Florida for the summer, she holds get-togethers for customers and friends she’s made. Maybe we can meet at the next one!
Facebook & Tiktok
You can find Norvell on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@southpauseislandgirl.
Her Facebook is:
https://www.facebook.com/SouthPauseSeaglassJewelry. I know that you will love ‘meeting’ her too.
