The British royal family has a long tradition of having wedding bands made of Welsh gold, and Meghan Markle is no exception. When she and Harry tied the knot in May of this year, he slipped a Welsh gold ring on her finger, and now, everyday folks want one just like hers.
According to People, a family-owned jewelry company named Clogau in North Wales has seen a spike in the demand for rare Welsh gold since the royal wedding. The boost has been so significant that Clogau is opening four new stores.
“We get a lot of exposure when there is a royal wedding,” a Clogau spokeswoman told the magazine. “It was the same when William and Kate got married. It definitely gives business a boost. Whenever the public becomes aware of the royal connection then there is increased interest in rare Welsh gold.”
The spokeswoman added that the company has designed a ring that is almost identical to Meghan’s. “We have our own bridal concept and we have a trilogy-style engagement ring and her ring was the same style as that,” she said.
In May, the palace announced that Meghan and Harry chose Cleave and Company to make their wedding rings, and the Duchess’s band was a gift from Queen Elizabeth II.
“Ms. Markle’s ring has been fashioned from a piece of Welsh Gold, gifted by Her Majesty The Queen,” the statement read. “Prince Harry’s ring will be a Platinum Band with a textured finish. Both rings were crafted in the Cleave workshop.”
Bethany Fenn, who manages a museum that contains remnants of the Welsh gold mining industry, told CBS News that the royal family is so fascinated with this particular kind of jewelry because it is very hard to find.
“The queen on her 60th birthday, she got gifted a kilogram of this Welsh gold and she’s been slowly chipping away at it with all these wedding rings ever since,” Fenn said.
From: Town & Country US
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