Clogau Gold- A history of the company

William Roberts and his family had little idea how significant the mine was at first. To their amazement, they discovered that it had been mining Welsh gold since 1854 and was the very same mine that was chosen to supply the gold for generations of Royal Family wedding rings, beginning with the Queen Mother in 1923.

It was undoubtedly one of the most productive and successful gold mines in the country during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

William's original intention was to turn the mine into a tourist attraction. But planning restriction problems in the Snowdonia National Park meant the idea never materialised - so essentially he was left with a big hole in the ground wondering what to do with it.

The only option was to re-open the mine in the hope that some gold was still down there. Amazingly, there was - but only enough to last about 3 years worth of small-scale mining. It was obvious that there was very little Welsh gold left.

This made the gold one of the rarest and most sought-after in the world. It also meant than mining was hugely costly - at £1,000 per ounce to extract - and the dream of creating jewellery from pure Welsh gold was unrealistic.

So William made the decision to include a small amount of this Welsh gold into each piece. This made the jewellery both special and affordable.
 

From the start, he was adamant about using this precious gold in the most beautiful jewellery possible - which meant expert handcraftsmanship, solid golds and designs inspired by the natural beauty of Wales, the place of its origin.

Mining came to a halt in 1995 after three years of mining due to the exuberant costs and the scarcity of the gold. 

The Welsh gold that is now included in each piece is extracted from a stockpile that was amassed before the mine was closed. Obviously, this means that Welsh gold will all run out one day - at current estimates (based on both current and predicted sales) this is expected to be around 2016.

Today, Clogau Gold continues this Welsh tradition of creating jewellery that is completely solid, handcrafted and uniquely designed - a tradition that has now been passed onto William's son, Ben. 

 

For information on this brand or anything showcased instore or on the website, don't hesitate to contact us

e. info@burnsjewellersgroup.com    tel. (+44) (0)161-832-3983