Cornish Tin Mining

Cornishmen are justly proud of their ancient tin mining history which carries a unique romance. Tin mining in Cornwall is thought to date back more than 2500 years ago; flourishing between 1750 and 1850. Between 1837 and 1838 approximately 18,742 men, 5,700 women and 5,700 children were employed by some 2000 Cornish Mines. At this time Cornwall supplied most of the world’s tin and copper.

Many skills were developed by the Cornish miners which became used worldwide and after the invention of steam power in the 18th century, the mining engineers pioneered the great steam engines which allowed mining to much greater depths. The engines lay beneath specially built granite houses and were used to bring the ore and men to the surface,pump water and provide power and water for ore processing on the surface.

The industry declined due to the rise in production from foreign sources which were more competitively priced and many Cornish miners took their skills and their families overseas in order to find work in countries with increased mining activity such as Australia, the Americas and South Africa. The many engine houses and their remains have become landmarks of the Cornish landscape and can be found in almost every parish from the River Tamar to the cliff’s edge at Land’s End.

Cornish Tin & Gold

Fine or pure gold is soft and therefore unsuitable for jewellery manufacture. Controlled by strict laws, quantities of different metals (parts) are mixed with gold to produce a suitable alloy for jewellery manufacture. The Cornish Tin & Gold alloy retains the 9ct & 18ct Gold purity and uses Cornish Tin as part of the other metals added.