My Cornish World - Sarah Corbridge

For our My Cornish World this issue we met Sarah Corbridge, a fourth-generation jeweler, whose family jewellery shop has been around for the past 150 years. Here she tells us about her family’s heritage and history with jewellery in Cornwall.

Q Firstly, tell us a little bit about yourself and your connection to Cornwall...

I’m a fourth-generation Cornish jewellery designer from the family JewellersWearnes, established in 1869. We have retail shops in Helston and Falmouth and website business. A Cornish girl through and through, I grew up in the countryside near Wheal Jane Mine, Bissoe near Truro, riding ponies and collecting rose petals from my Dad’s garden to make my own perfume as a child.

Q As part of the Wearnes generation, tell us about your long-running history with Cornish tin and gold and the role you play today?

I invented the Cornish Tin & Gold Alloysin 2007 because I had a burning desire to make fine jewellery out of precious metals which are specific to Cornwall. Addinghistoric, shipwrecked, salvaged Cornish tin, mined in Cornwall over 140 years ago to gold provides just that and embraces our ancient tin mining heritage. I often wonder who the miners were, that worked underground to bring up the tin I use. If I stop and think about it sometimes, the hairs on my arms rise!

Q How are you continuing Wearnes' proud legacy and what inspires you with your business?