Welsh Gold Wedding Ring

A Welsh gold wedding ring is the desire of many Welsh people getting married. Queen Elizabeth II and her family all wear a Welsh gold wedding ring and this has helped make them fashionable. However, buying a Welsh gold wedding ring is fraught with danger, because Welsh gold sells at a premium to gold from elsewhere and some unscrupulous jewellers might be tempted to substitute a cheaper metal.

Welsh Gold Wedding Ring

You can still buy a Welsh gold wedding ring, because some gold is still mined in Wales, although on a very small scale. However, the supply is not under Welsh control for the most part and there are serious doubts about how much of the gold used in the alloy is Welsh and how much is gold from elsewhere.

This problem has come about because Welsh gold sells at a large premium to gold from elsewhere. This is partly for nationalistic reasons and partly because Queen Elizabeth II and most of her family wear a Welsh gold wedding ring.

In the royal wedding of 2011, Prince William gave his bride Catherine Middleton a Welsh gold wedding ring made from a piece of Welsh gold donated by the queen from a kilo of Welsh gold given to her on her accession to the throne by the Clogau gold mine.

The problem is that the percentages are often kept secret. Welsh gold can be identified by trace-element isotope analysis, but this is not practical when buying an individual item. The customer is at the mercy of the integrity of the retailer and his entire supply line.

There are some beautiful designs about, if you have set your heart on a Welsh gold wedding ring. There are the traditional plain bands of gold or the equally traditional Celtic Knot designs.

There are several reputable Welsh jewellers that deal in Welsh gold wedding rings, but one that you have to check out is Clogau. Clogau Welsh gold is probably the most famous gold mine and supplier of Welsh gold.

Welsh gold is sold often as rose gold, or as rose gold accents. The colour has nothing to do with any content of gold from Wales: it is simply a function of the other metals used in the alloy.

The difference between a yellow and a white gold wedding ring in colour comes from the alloying elements. A 14 ct gold ring is 58.5% gold and 41.5% other metals. Yellow gold is alloyed primarily with copper, silver and zinc, while white gold is alloyed primarily with nickel, copper and zinc.

Both yellow and white 14 ct. gold will readily withstand normal everyday wear, although white gold is slightly tougher. A white gold ring provides a better reflective mount to show the brilliance of any stones, especially diamonds, that are mounted on it.

You should take care of your Welsh gold wedding ring by washing it occasionally in warm water with any mild liquid detergent. Avoid contact with mercury and harsh chemicals, but If your ring is tarnished by chemicals or scratched, a jeweller will usually be able to bring it back to its original lustre.

by +Owen Jones