Welsh Gold Wedding Rings

Welsh gold wedding rings are a hot topic for 2011 – the British public like nothing better than to speculate (read: gossip) about our Royal Family, and we at Wedding Rings Direct are wondering if Kate will follow the royal tradition of choosing Welsh gold for her wedding ring. We are also getting more customer queries than usual, probably for the same reason! While some wedding ring trends come and go, Welsh gold is a quietly constant choice for wedding rings – the Welsh national pride will never fade and, despite the last mine closing in 2007, enough of the gold is still around to fulfil demand for it in the jewellery industry.

What is Welsh gold?

Welsh gold is exactly the same as any other type of gold, and is only set apart by its source. Gold was first found in Wales in the Bronze Age, near the river Conthi in South West Wales. The area was dug occasionally until the Romans discovered the potential of the land, and began mining on a much larger scale. The Romans soon found other mines in the area, and put an increasing amount of manpower and resources into getting as much as they could from the land. Welsh gold was also mined from North Wales, from a similar time until the last Welsh gold mines closed in 2007. Since then, the value of Welsh gold has increased, and is likely to continue doing so. Welsh gold is now thought to be worth three or four times the price of normal gold, purely due to its rarity, so is now almost always found as a small percentage of a gold alloy.

What is Welsh gold used for?

Since Roman times, Welsh gold was used for many precious items of status including torcs, medals and jewellery. Unlike gold from other sources, it was infrequently used in industry. As it is now so rare, it is now only used for smaller items such as wedding rings. Welsh gold can be made into white or yellow gold rings, with the eventual colour depending on the other metals used in the alloy.

What are the links between Welsh gold and the Royal Family?

Welsh gold wedding rings have been worn by a long line of Royals, including Charles and Diana, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall. William and Kate are thought to be likely to continue this tradition – Kate is wearing William’s mother’s engagement ring so it is quite likely that she will wear a Welsh gold wedding ring to match. It seems that the Royals are in less danger than most of running out of Welsh gold, as the Queen was presented with a kilogram bar of pure Welsh gold in the 1980s!

As well as the Royal Family, many celebrities have chosen the prestigious Welsh gold for their wedding rings, including Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas and Sian Lloyd.

The future of Welsh gold jewellery

The future of Welsh gold jewellery remains to be seen, as the proportions of Welsh gold actually found in the jewellery is likely to decrease, whilst the cost of the metal can only increase. Welsh gold has emotional ties and royal connections that mean it will never stop being a desired commodity, especially in wedding rings.