A Little bit of Cornwall Ltd
Unique Seaglass jewellery made in Cornwall by a jewellery artisan
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We have a ring for you!
You may have a piece of seaglass from your favourite place. Or indeed, you may have a place in Cornwall that reminds you of your other half to be! We can work together on a ring or rings that are personal to you, totally unique, sustainable and different. Why buy diamonds from unknown sources, often at high human and environmental cost. Not only is seaglass very gorgeous, totally unique and special to you're buying it from a sustainable, small business, where everything is made by hand, in Cornwall and precisely to your requirements. All this and more than likely cheaper than a mass produced, impersonal, unsustainably sourced piece of jewellery. Yes, a diamond looks beautiful but so does seaglass!! That romantic night you had at St Mawes, as you wandered the winding , achingly pretty paths until stumbling on what is possibly one of the best views in Britain. Or maybe you went camping together at Pentewan. The kids frolicking in the dappled water, you falling out of those daft blow up chairs as you laughed at each others jokes. Happy memories, wrapped up as a ring on your finger .............. A little bit of Cornwall to celebrate love
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About
Six years ago, i had a stroke. It was my second and at only 40 years old a huge game changer. To be fair, stroke is a game changer at any age, although i was very lucky after my first and continued to run my gardening business. Taking two weeks off to recover!! This time however was very different. I quickly went from being chilled out hands on dad, business owner and sailor, to a stressed out man with bad stroke fatigue, aphasia ( where one forgets words, sentences , gets them muddled etc etc) and a personality change. Not to mention the physical challenges. Whilst i have overcome much of the aphasia, i'm left in constant pain with shocking memory, poor mobilisation and other strokisms :-)
However, I'm still here and as a stroke survivor i try to make the most of things.
what I do and why
Hence making jewellery. I enjoy collecting the sea glass with my wife and children. The income gives me a little independence and the smithing deflects my brain from thinking about the pain, so i take fewer painkillers. All this positivity leads to a happier dad :-)
Every single purchase helps me recover a little bit more. Im passionate about our environment and feel, if we are lucky enough to live in a stunning part of the world, we should keep it that way.
Seaglass is something, cast away decades ago , that has become really popular. Not only gracing shelves in little jars or stuck on plant pots or mirrors, but finding iots way into jewellery. Wearable items that will grace any occasion with a little bit of intrigue and maybe, with the rarer colours, a little bit of jealousy! Its amazing that what has been rubbish thrown in the sea , has now become something to treasure. Something that will remind us of those holidays spent paddling in the Cornish Riviera. A memento, worn close to the heart, of a beautiful moment catching the last of the golden rays of sun in one of the most stunning counties in the country. Possibly the world!
Planet saving ( every little helps)
We need to protect this wonderful planet for following generations. Here at a little bit of Cornwall, we love our planet . All our packaging is made from recycled products. We continually strive to be more environmentally aware and part of this is cleaning up our planet. We strongly believe in leaving our world in a better state than we inherited it . Part of this includes cleaning up our beloved coastline,here in Cornwall. Our small efforts may not be much but if we all spent a little time cleaning our beaches that we do enjoy visiting then our marine environment as well as our beaches will benefit
this isn’t all talk, unlike many of our competitors , we have started to catalogue all that we pick up and will post photos and updates of the rubbish we remove from our environment .
Where we can, we use recycled silver. When we don't, we use responsibly sourced silver from Italy in order to rule out ( as much as possible) any humanitarian or needless environmental damage issues that some products sourced in the far east can have.
Every single piece of sea glass is a unique piece of Cornwall, itself recycled after decades spent rolling around the sea bed. tossed and turned by many a storm. Crushed, moulded, rounded, smoothed until, finally, tossed ashore and found by us. Every piece is special, unique and left in the shape we found it. We don’t agree with shaping or adulterating seaglass in anyway. Seaglass should be presented exactly as found! On the rare occasions where we are asked to carve or change seaglass in any way, it will be stated in the resulting product info
I NEVER use ANY tumbled glass as seen on sites like etsy. Hence, prices for some of the rarer colours is increased due to difficulty in finding it. Again I only use Cornish sea glass (unless stated) that is hand collected by my familyLess than half of that collected becomes jewellery. The rest is given to others as "craft" glass and used in pictures, mirrors etc.
Only the best of that collected will be used in my jewellery. Much as we love spending time on the beach, it takes many hours to find the sea glass that we use and each piece used isn't changed in any way. Other than to drill a hole for hanging or bezel setting. Others will shape the glass, file it down so it is more uniform in shape ( easier to bezel set). Here, we do things differently. We take time and work with nature to produce totally unique but natural jewellery. Traditional methods are used throughout the creative process and all is done by hand, by myself
We NEVER outsource any part of the design or make process
Its simple really, I design and make every single piece on this website. Where we have to buy in ( some charms for example) we source responsibly.
So if you want a gift for yourself or someone special but also feel a responsibility toward the environment then consider the goods on this website. If you want something that is certified " Made in Cornwall " by Cothen this is your lucky day!
Cornish seaglass, found on Cornish beaches by a Cornish family and made into stunning Cornish Jewellery.
If Silver was mined in Cornwall, be sure, we would use that too!
The beautiful Fowey
Just one of the many glorious spots in Cornwall that i just have to visit for sea glass! Its a hard life but someone has to do it!
Fowey on the south coast of Cornwall is a historic port of grreat standing in Conrwall with the river running from Fowey all the way to the trading town of Lostwithiel and beyond. It is a natural harbour and its size encouraged a strong trade in china clay , tin etc Not to mention a good deal of smuggling, lots of battles over the centuries and more currently a fishing port. Today Fowey is a playground for all things nautical and many historic vessels can be seen wandering in and out amongst the many leisure vessels. All this activity over many centuries makes Fowey a perfect place to find seaglass of allsorts. I have found sea glass here of colours not even recorded on the many sites that can be googled! However, I am not saying where!!! If you are visiting on holiday, readymoney cove is a lovely place to park a, explore and then walk through to Fowey. The beach at readymoney is well known for its seaglass as well as its super famous resident Mrs Dawn French who has made this stunning part of Cornwall her home for many years.
Looking after your Jewellery
Firstly, lets state the obvious. Dont wear your jewellery whilst operating heavy machinery or machinery with fast moving parts. Yes i know!
Our jewellery is made to the highest standards. Where possible the jump rings have been soldered for strength or we use oval jump rings that take the pressures of being pulled around on the solid silver part, rather than the split. All this makes your jewellery stronger, a good thing, unless its trapped in moving machinery!! Play it safe, for both you and your jewellery!
Cleaning
Like anything, a good clean, once in a while, will have your jewellery looking as new. However there are a couple of things we should mention;
* Please don't use your silver dip jars to clean jewellery containing sea glass. This can discolour some sea glass and in some cases even damage the silver.A simple silver cloth and a bit of elbow grease will suffice in most cases to remove any tarnishing. The best way to prevent tarnish is to wear and enjoy your little bit of Cornwall!
If not and your well worn piece needs a darned good clean, get in touch and we can begin by giving it a special ultra sonic bath which will safely remove most dirt and put the shine back!!
* Its worth noting that any jewellery shouldn't be contaminated by washing soaps, perfume and the like. Your jewellery will retain its shine for much longer if you remove it during bathing and washing dishes etc.
Be wary of putting any product on your jewellery. When you receive it it will have an anti tarnish polish applied. This will wear off in time and simple cleaning with a polishing cloth should always suffice and restore shine.
Seaglass
Seaglass has a naturally frosted appearance and many people like to see this. It shows that the sea glass is genuine along with c shape marks on the glass, made by the sea and sand etc. fake seaglass is easily spotted because of its smoothness and cost, especially when you are purchasing rare colours like yellow, pink, grey etc.
This frosted look on genuine seaglass will disappear , giving a gorgeous sheen if a little oil is applied to the glass. This in no way harms it and should you hate the new look, simply wash the oil off and frosted will reappear after a very short time.
Oils
We recommend using coconut oil as it is a very light oil that doesn't tend to mark clothing. Here at A little bit of Cornwall we use a fairtrade, organic coconut oil that is solid at room temperature. Wiping a cloth across the top is all the oil you will need.
Hallmarking
We hallmark all our rings, even though they are mostly below the weight where they are required to be hallmarked. We find this aids authenticity and is valued when jewellery is gifted. All our jewellery that is over 7.7g in weight is hallmarked as required by law. Our pendants that are hallmarked will say so in the description. Should you wish, a piece you have your heart set on , can be hallmarked for you. Just ask. There is a small charge for this and the process can take a week or two.
Refunds and returns
We try hard to make sure all our products are strong resilient and as described. There will be times when something is ordered in error or breaks for no apparent reason. In these events, please message me. We will do all we can to sort the problem out and of course all statutory rights are upheld. Unless previously agreed with myself, more personal products, like earrings for pierced ears, cannot be returned unless faulty.
I always do my best to be helpful and love getting commissions for special items made to your design but I have to ask for a small deposit in these cases.
There are full ts and Cs at the end of this website.
Contact
- Roche, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- PL268NZ
This is my private email address. Occasionally emails are plonked into junk for some reason. If I don’t reply within 48 hours, nag me 😂
Where does sea glass come from
The Enchanted Answer: Mermaids for many many years lived around the coastline of Cornwall, where they watched over the many fisherman sailing in and out of the myriad ports around this sea faring county. However, one mermaid fell in love with a fisherman, a cardinal sin, swimming close to his boat and helping him when he was in trouble. The king of the mermaids heard about this betrayal deep in his salty lair and was very angry. He swirled the sea , blew the winds and did his best to dash the fisherman's boat on rocks near the shore. At the last minute, as the bewildered boat dweller finally accepted his watery fate, the mermaid grabbed the boat and pushed it away from the rocks. As punishment the mermaids were banished from the shore and as they all left their rocks around the coast, their tears fell in to the water and settled on the sea bed as sea glass. The more considered answer: Sea glass is waste glass both lost at sea and dumped at sea. Cornwall's rich , sea faring history has left the area as a mecca for sea glass hunters from all over the world. Pentewan is well known for this glass but also for its sea ceramic. Small pieces of ceramic that are awash on the shore at low tide. These primarily came from the china clay industry. Back when Pentewan was a bustling harbour for ships loading with precious Cornish china clay, the ships would come loaded with ballast that would be cast over board before entering harbour. This ballast was invariably old clay pots and crockery! Some of the rarest sea glass found around the Cornish coastline is pink. A delicate lavender colour, this glassoriginated in the first world war when the glass industry could no longer import chemicals from Germany to turn glass into its clear form. We used different chemicals that had the same effect. However, once cast into the sea a hundred years of sunlight exposure caused these new chemicals to break down inside the glass, turning it pink! For more info on historic seaglass look up the oft mentioned Pirate glass on an internet search engine!![
Terms and Conditions and Refund Policy
UK website terms and conditions
Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern A little bit of Cornwall's relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.
The term 'A little bit of Cornwall' or 'us' or 'we' refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is 18 Plas Jowan Roche, PL26 8NZ]. The term 'you' refers to the user or viewer of our website.
The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:
- The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.
- This website uses cookies to monitor browsing preferences. If you do allow cookies to be used, the following personal information may be stored by us for use by third parties: None, we will not share any personal information to third parties.
- Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.
- Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
- This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.
- All trade marks reproduced in this website which are not the property of, or licensed to, the operator are acknowledged on the website.
- Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.
- From time to time this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
- Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
If you have told me within 14 days of receiving your goods that you want to cancel. You have a further 14 days to return the goods. I will then refund within 14 days. Goods commissioned by yourself can be returned if faulty under the same conditions.
Earrings however cannot be returned ( unless faulty) for hygiene reasons.
None of the above affects your statutory rights.
Please be aware that i cannot refund postage incurred, unless previously agreed.
Mevagissey
A colourful and vibrant fishing village. The success of the fishing trade in Mevagissey is to be seen all around the village. It is an easy job buying locally caught fish, shellfish etc as there is a kiosk on the harbour! Today Mevagissey is very much a tourist destination and with that the ice cream shops, gift shops and cafes abound. All supplying guests with excellent fare. Mevagissey has been a settlement since the Bronze age and you can still spot the burial mounds on the cliff tops. Springing forward a few hundred years and by the 1700s fishing had stopped being the main breadwinner amongst the locals. A new trade, dangerous indeed but highly remunerated, was smuggling. In fact one could say much of the village was built on the proceeds of illicit trading!! Even today one can see evidence of the many alleyways, secret pathways, trapdoors and the like. All there to make the smugglers life a little easier in evading the law. The arrival of Methodicism put a stop to much of it by 1750 and a new , bigger and better harbour was commissioned in 1775. This was further enhanced in the 1800s. 1866 saw a cholera outbreak with many locals moving away or dieing as a consequence. In the 19th centuary a revival of the fishing industry resulted in the rapid overfishing of pilchards and streets that reeked with the offal of fish! During the first world war German boats torpedoed local merchants and fishermen and ofcourse , many fishermen were lost after signing up to fight This long history makes for prime sea glass hunting. However the harbour area is very hit or miss and bar a few pieces of yellow sea glass, ive found few rarities. Not even any pirate glass :-) On the plus side, it is a wonderful place to while away an hour or two, especially dawn on a winters day .
