This is not an online store - please contact me to buy Infinite Wave products and services, whether as an individual or trade.
I now have a workshop near St Agnes which you can visit - by appointment only. My eBay seller name is cornishcrystalcollector.
I usually have a stall at the Bakewell mineral show and at the Cornish Healing Light Festivals - future shows will be featured in the Blog.
Quality mineral specimens collected and prepared in Cornwall by professional geologist Ben Church. Infinite Wave minerals are collected from Cornish beaches, mine spoil heaps and mines. Ben has a license from the Duchy of Cornwall to remove a small quantity of beach material each year. A determined digger, he is always careful to fill in holes he has dug in pursuit of mineral specimens. Ben has been a caver since 1986 and his experience allows him to access some localities inaccessible to most people.
Get your favourite stone sliced and polished!
Do you have a pebble or rock that you would like cut and polished?
If you do not have time to join me for a bespoke workshop session, I can do it for you.
Post the pebble to me and I will cut, shape and polish it to your specifications.
Not all pebbles polish well, so to avoid disappointment you should contact me and send me a few good photos of the pebble so that I can identify it, assess whether or not it is suitable and give you a quote.
Are you a jeweller in search of Cornish gemstone cabochons, polished slices, small pebbles or small crystals?
You have come to the right place!
Do you have a delicate mineral specimen in your collection that would be enhanced by a bit of a trim? I may be able to help.
Contact me and send a few photos and I will assess if trimming is realistic and give you a quote.
Do you have specimens in your collection that could be enhanced by cleaning? Contact me and send a few photos and I will assess if cleaning is realistic, whether using physical or chemical methods (or a combination of the two) and give you a quote.
With Ben Church, I will provide a unique insight into the geology of Cornwall and the rocks, cliffs and pebbles of Porthtowan on the beautiful north coast. I will help you to identify the pebbles on the beach, tell you their stories and look for the elusive and beautiful Cornish agates. If you find a special pebble Ben can arrange to cut and / or polish it for you.
The beachcombing experience usually lasts about and hour and a half. Timing is tide dependent. I am licensed by the Duchy of Cornwall to collect a small quantity of agates from the beach and to deliver educational beach walks. I am DBS certificated and was a teacher for 26 years – so fine with children’s groups, whether from schools or beavers/cubs/guides/scout groups. I do not charge for accompanied under 16s: We like to encourage young geologists! We charge for each adult supervising – at least one adult per 6 children please: £25 per person. Contact me to arrange a date and time (best at low tide).
Guided geology field trips to other Cornish locations are also available on request, whether for individuals or groups. Cally and Ben can also deliver longer bespoke geology tours of other regions of the UK – contact me with your requirements.
Check out 'Beachcombing & Jewellery Making with Cornish Agates' where we were interviewed by Kernow Craft, a Cornwall based jewellery supplies company.
MADE LOCALLY USING AGATE FOUND ON CORNISH BEACHES
Infinite Wave products are truly Cornish. The banded agates formed 240 million years ago and have been collected, cut, shaped and polished in Cornwall.
Geologist Ben Church has spent years exploring remote and difficult to access Cornish beaches for agates.
Each piece is unique, individually designed and made by hand. The shape of the finished stones is guided by the form of the original cobble or pebble and the delicately patterned banding within the stone.
The Infinite Wave range includes sterling silver designer jewellery – (Infinite Wave, Sea Swirl and Murano), Silver pinch bail jewellery. Infinite Wave Surf Jewellery includes Freeform and Surfboard shaped drilled slices of polished agates.
As far as I know, I am the only Cornish agate specialists. I chose agates as my main stone for their beautiful subtle colours and hardness, which means that they take a high polish and are very durable.
All stones are responsibly sourced for the conscious consumer and are untreated by heating, dyes or chemical processes.
You can BUY MY BOOK ON AMAZON
The best bar stories evolve from crises and the opportunities they create, so here is a collection of my favourite misadventures. This collection of such exploits, arising from my lifelong quest for adventure travel and adrenalin includes caving, climbing, biking, hiking and backpacking in over 70 countries. What sets this book apart is that it describes the extraordinary adventures of an ordinary man: how many authors have squeezed maggots out of their eyebrows and been peed on by silverback mountain gorillas? Most books of this genre either focus on a specific adventurous activity or on a single trip. The diversity of this book will appeal to aspirant adventurers and armchair thrill-seekers alike, whether they are inexperienced students about to embark on a gap year or seasoned travellers spending their offspring's inheritance.
Learn from my mistakes
Be inspired by my successes
Make every second count!
For photos of the bar stories in my book go to my photo albums on my Flikr.
For thousands of years people have believed that agates have metaphysical properties that enhance life and prevent or help cure all sorts of disorders. Historically, Agate has been discovered with the artefacts of Neolithic people and was used as healing amulets and ornamentation dating back to Babylon. Its medicinal uses continued through the ancient Greek and Egyptian civilisations and spread throughout Africa and the Middle East into Russia.
All Cornish Agates are sourced in a responsible, sustainable and ethical manner, without using explosives or hammering – they are all collected as beach pebbles and cobbles and are free from treatments such as heating, chemical processes and dyes. This makes them particularly well suited to use for crystal healing and other crystal therapies.
Unique! No two Cornish agates are identical: they formed around 270 million years ago with their colours and patterns determined by their chemical composition and the temperature and pathways taken by the hot fluids that deposited them. Agates are made of one or more varieties of quartz which has a stabilizing and strengthening energy. Agates with flowing banding are generally soothing, great for those who are looking for peace and harmony. The more geometric designs with sharp lines and zig-zags can help stimulate action and decision making, helpful to those who cant’s get started and need that extra push.
Please note that information about the crystal therapy properties listed is offered as guidance and not to replace treatments for any medical condition.
The golden brown autumnal colours, iron staining and rust give a sense of history and heritage, helping to understand the past and find closure whilst enjoying the present and looking forward to the future. They are about annual cycles and being in tune with nature and the outdoors, encouraging quiet contemplation and assimilation of life experiences, leading to spiritual growth and inner stability.
These agates have both the strong dark greys associated with the mining heritage of Cornwall and the subdued whites reminiscent of the breaking waves of Cornwall’s surfing beachies. The grey and white attributes work together to enhance strength, confidence and understanding, while maintaining compassion and wisdom.
This rare pink banded agate helps to heal emotional issues, increase your concentration skills and boost your self-confidence. It promotes inner peace, balance, and harmony, reducing stress and anxiety. It is also a protection stone, providing comfort in difficult situations.
Agate is the traditional birthstone for those under the sign Gemini, between May 21 and June 20, when the Earth is approaching summer. Agate brings them pure luck and fortune and the will to speak up for the truth. By wearing this stone, they can benefit from improved analytical ability and focus.
The delicate flowing bands of cream and white have a gentle feminine energy, encouraging a sense of calm, compassion and serenity and an appreciation of the nurturing properties of Mother Nature and the Earth energies. A protective stone in pregnancy, agate also helps new mothers avoid the "baby blues" sometimes experienced after giving birth, and a white agate worn between the breasts encourages lactation.
The strong dark zig-zags of morion quartz within the Poldark agate echo the deep, dark and exciting mines of Cornwall, making it a powerful stone with a masculine energy that stimulates action and important decision making.
Agate provides a wide variety of patterns conducive to achieving focus in meditation. The intricate movements within the crystal encourage a calm, relaxed state and open the mind to higher thoughts and inner truths.
Agate combines the strength and solidity of a stone with the fluidity and translucency of water: a unique combinations of energies. Agate can be placed in any area of the home that needs gentle healing. Choose an agate in its natural or tumbled form in order to truly enjoy its powerful balancing and nurturing energy.
Metaphysical and Alternative Crystal Healing Powers and Properties are not to be taken as confirmed advice. Should you have any medical conditions, please see a licensed practitioner. This information is not to replace the advice of your doctor. Infinite Wave Jewellery does not guarantee any claims or statements made and cannot be held liable under any circumstances.
Between 300 and 275 million years ago the collision of the continents of Euramerica and Gondwana formed the supercontinent of Pangaea. This collision led to a period of mountain building (the Variscan orogeny). Deep burial of rocks in the mountain ’roots’ caused partial melting and the generation of granitic magma. The granitic magma rose to form a huge intrusion (the Cornubian Batholith). The magma cooled slowly at a depth of between 5.5 and 5Km, allowing the growth of relatively large crystals (2-15mm). In the late stages of the intrusion of the granites the remaining hot fluids, rich in dissolved minerals, filled cracks and fissures in the surrounding ‘country rocks’ and cooled to form sheet-like mineral veins. The early high temperature veins include the deposits of valuable ore minerals that made Cornwall rich in the 19th century. These minerals include cassiterite (tin), chalcopyrite (copper), galena (lead), sphalerite (zinc) and wolfram (tungsten). The last veins, forming at lower temperatures, were quartz and agate.
Erosion has exposed parts of the Cornubian batholith to reveal the granite landscape so characteristic of the Southwest of England, including Dartmoor, Exmoor, and Bodmin Moor, as well as the Scilly Isles. The quartz and agate veins are far harder than the surrounding country rocks. Coastal erosion of the weak country rocks leads to concentration of the hard vein quartz on Cornish beaches, explaining why white quartz pebbles are often dominant, sometimes accompanied by the less common agate.
Cornish agates formed in Cornwall and have been collected, cut, shaped and polished in Cornwall. Each piece of Cornish Infinite Wave agate jewellery is unique, individually designed and handmade, inspired by the beautiful coastline where the agates are found and the delicately patterned banding within the Cornish gemstone to produce exclusive natural Cornish jewellery. The Infinite Wave Cornish agate jewellery range includes simple but stylish ‘surf’ jewellery, silver pinch bail pendants and sterling silver designer jewellery designed by Ben Church and Cally Oldershaw.
Read ‘Discovering Agates on the Shores of Cornwall, England’ – an Article by Cally Oldershaw in the magazine of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain
I did a Geology Degree at Birmingham University and spent a few years working all over the world on exploration oil rigs. I then travelled through Asia and Africa for six months before starting my career as a teacher. I taught Geology and Geography for 26 years in both the state and private sectors.
I continued to travel independently and still travel extensively now. I lead adventure travel expeditions for British students in Africa, South America and SE Asia, which is a great vehicle for personal development and expanding your comfort zone. I am a tour director for coach tours of Ireland, UK and Iceland with American High School students.
I am also a Guest Speaker delivering ‘edu-tainment’ talks on cruise ships (topics are mainly Earth Science related, but also include adventure travel, expanding your comfort zone and travel photography). Living 100 steps from the beach in Porthtowan on the north Cornwall coast led to the company name of Infinite Wave, as we collect our sustainable Cornish agates on the beach (under license from the Duchy of Cornwall).
