Rare Cornish Turquoise Sterling Silver Pendant
An opportunity to own a beautifully designed piece featuring rare Cornish Turquoise! The turquoise in this pendant was sourced from the now filled in Gunheath China Clay Pit, in the St Austell district of Cornwall.
Set in sterling silver with a delicate 'wave' design by our skilled silversmith, this makes for a truly original heirloom piece and a fascinating piece of history.
Pendant measures 44x16x5mm including bail. Comes with a complimentary matching premium 18"-20" sterling silver rope twist chain and Two Skies presentation box, with colourful Turquoise pamphlet.
Whilst normally thought of as a material sourced from the USA and China, this scarce material is entirely British born! Any visitor to St Austell is likely to be struck by the impressive sharp peaks, known as the Cornish Alps, which dominate the surrounding landscape and represent the most visible part of a story that goes back two hundred and fifty years. China clay, as the name suggests, has been used for thousands of years in China for making porcelain and in 1745 the secret of this process was discovered in Cornwall, and by the early nineteenth century, Cornish China Clay was big business! Cornish Turquoise is a very rare by-product of this industry, but would surely have not been discovered if not for the demand for porcelain dinnerware!
