A royal reopening

Some of the most famous, or at least widely exposed, jewellery is worn by the British monarchy. One thing that isn’t as well known is the fact that the gold behind three generations of wedding bands, as well as various possessions of Edward VIII, all came from the same place – Clogau St David’s mine, near Bontddu in Wales.

The mine was shut down in 1998 as production had slowed to unsustainable levels, but now Alba Mineral Resources has announced it will explore the site once again, in the hope of bringing it back into production. The company sees high potential for finding unworked veins, so perhaps North Wales could once again provide the gold for the next royal wedding.