Clogau 18k gold jewellery; royal welsh gold wedding rings; delicate 9ct gold jewellery charms, bracelets and necklaces; unusual designer pieces of 22k gold jewellery mixed with glass and 9ct rose gold; welsh mined gold jewellery UK dealers and online stores as well as a little history of the Clogau St. David’s Gold Mine – that and more is what Jewelry & Accessories brings you this week to help you buy gold jewellery with a remarkable history.
The Royal History of Clogau Gold
Clogau Gold comes from an ancient mine in the Snowdonia mountains that produced what would come to be some of the most regal gold of the 19th and early 20th century.
It was Clogau gold from which the royal family’s bridal jewellery and wedding rings were crafted, starting with the rings commissioned in 1923 by the Queen Mother. The single nugget of pure gold that was used for the Queen Mother and King George VI has also been used to craft the wedding band from Prince Philip to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and since then, the royal tradition of using Clogau gold has included wedding rings for Princess Anne, Princess Margaret, Lady Diana, and most recently, Prince Charles and Camilla.
The Last Remaining Nuggets From The Clogau St. David’s Gold Mine
The Clogau St. David’s Gold Mine, from which the first royal nuggets were extracted, did not have much gold, so it closed and was rediscovered and reopened briefly, but the fact remained that there was very little of this precious and elusive Welsh gold, and mining it was very costly. Like all things rare and difficult to obtain, the value of it didn’t diminish, rather it increased, and although extracting the precious metal came at a cost of around £1,000 per ounce, it was still a coveted and sought after metal. However, in 1995, it became unrealistic to continue mining, so the mine was closed permanently. Clogau gold nuggets that remained were stored and have since then been used to add to other gold to create fine jewellery with just a touch of the rare metal.
Since the small stockpile of Welsh Clogau gold is estimated to become depleted by around 2016, obtaining a piece of jewellery with even a small amount of this priceless ore is reserved for those who value its historic worth and can afford to pay its price.
Despite its rarity, pieces of fine Clogau gold jewellery are crafted and sold at surprisingly affordable prices, making it within reach even to none Royals.
Aside from its Royal history, and the scarcity of supply, what makes Clogau gold so special?
One of the things that distinguishes this fine gold from others is the fact that gold was discovered in what had once been an ancient copper mine. As you may or may not know, the color of gold is altered when alloyed with copper, creating what is known as rose gold, and in the case of Clogau, the nuggets with both copper and yellow gold gave an unusual touch of rose color to the gold.
However, it seems that the last time the gold was mined there was not much copper, mostly pure yellow gold, however the tradition of alloying it with copper to have a rosy colored metal remains.
Naturally yellow, white gold and rose gold jewellery is available, skillfully crafted from small amounts of the remaining gold extracted from the Clogau mine.
Where To Buy Gold Jewellery with Some Welsh Clogau Gold
William Roberts, who has been operating Clogau Gold since 1989, and who was able to reopen the mine for about 3 years and stockpile a quantity of the gold before closing it in 1995, remains the owner of the family run business in Bodelwyddan, Rhyl, with Mr. Roberts’ son Ben Roberts, now in charge of the day to day operations.
An official Clogau Gold Jewellery Store was opened in October of 2009 in Bridgend, South Wales, however you can purchase their products and view catalogues and inventory at their online store at clogau.co.uk.
What’s Available and How Much Does It Cost?
Here are some options for you to consider:
9ct gold jewellery will be the most affordable option. Why? Let’s compare two pieces that are exactly the same design— a rose gold wedding ring.
The 9ct gold Cariad ring is a 3mm wedding band, finely crafted to be shaped exactly as your finger. The piece has the traditional Welsh Cariad inscription inside the band, which means sweetheart (or darling in Welsh) and comes from the Latin root Carus, which refers to affection toward a beloved. The ring also has the insignias of the official Clogau Gold and the Welsh Dragon, and the piece comes with a certificate or authenticity and a gorgeous jewellery box.
It costs £229, or about £172 if you buy it during a Clogau gold jewellery sale.
The same design, with all the same features, in the 18k gold jewellery collection, is more than double the price – £600 regularly, and about £450 when on sale.
There are three other designs we recommend that are unusual and affordable.
The first is a 9ct rose gold square Cariad ring, that’s 4mm wide, and costs between £195 and £260. If you are interested in this piece, you’ll have to check the stock level for the size you require. The stock for most of the Clogau gold jewellery is already very low.
The second is the 18ct yellow gold ring that features a D shaped design and is also a Cariad ring that’s 4mm wide and costs between £450 and £600. The availability of this piece is “plenty” if you desire size “J” but other sizes have a low stock availability and in some cases you will have to call the shop to see if they have your size. Remember that this gold is rare and stock really is running out.
The thirds piece is a very unique wedding ring because half of it is solid 18ct rose gold and the other half is platinum. It’s also a Cariad style and has all the same features and insignias as the ones above. It costs £1,500. The availability of this item is low in all sizes except “W”. So if you’re interested, act quickly.
Designer Gold Jewellery
Solid 22k gold jewellery is very difficult to find, and in Welsh gold even more difficult. There are however some unique pieces we suggest that Clogau Gold has to offer.
There is a collection called Alluvium, designed by Sarah Hill, a glass and gold jewellery specialist. Each of her pieces contains a flake (or flakes) of 22ct gold set into glass, like the Alluvium ring which is all handmade and set in a 9ct gold band. The ring is priced between £390 and £520.
There are three pieces to this collection: the gold ring, the intricately handmade gold bracelet and a pair of delicate gold dangle earrings. The bracelet costs £562.50, when on sale, and the gold earrings are priced between £307.50 and £410.
All pieces in this alluring Alluvium collection are crafted in 9ct gold with glass accents containing 22k gold flakes. They’re available through the Clogau Gold Store online, but there are very limited supplies in the most popular ring sizes. Their online availability chart must be checked before placing an order.
24k Gold Jewellery
24k gold jewellery is very rare these days, and not very practical, because it’s soft when not alloyed with other metals. 24k means it’s pure gold.
At the time of writing, the current price for 24k gold was £696 per ounce, and rare Welsh gold, much more. Fine gold jewellery will be 18ct or 14ct or even 9ct. Not even bridal jewellery or wedding bands, which were once 24k, are no longer popular.
If you want a piece that’s pure gold then you will probably do well to search for retro, vintage and antique gold jewellery that was crafted at least 50 to 100 years ago.
For more information, suggestions and recommendations on 14k gold items and prices; religious jewellery and cross necklace designs, gold charms for charm bracelets, gold CZ tennis bracelets, eternity rings to match bridal sets, cheap gold rings and jewelry that’s available online for North American buyers, as well as ideas on where to buy vintage jewelry and antique rings, please continue reading related topics presented by Jewelry & Accessories.
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- The Joy of Lola Rose Jewellery
- A Guide To 9ct Gold Rings
