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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the tradition of Royalty wearing Welsh gold wedding rings dates back to the marriage of The Queen Mother to King George VI in 1923. Since then many royal couples have chosen Welsh gold wedding rings including:

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip

Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon

Princess Anne and Captain Phillips

Prince Charles and Princess Diana

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

How much is a Welsh gold wedding ring?

Here at Aur Cymru Limited, we’re aware that an 18 carat 100% pure Welsh gold wedding ring may be a luxury that it is out of reach for many who are facing the expense of getting married, and so we are delighted to share our new range of Welsh gold jewellery. Created in 20% 18 carat Welsh gold alloyed with 80% Fairmined gold, the new range offers many more affordable Welsh gold wedding ring options that we hope will mean more happy couples will be able to have the wedding rings of their dreams!

The Welsh Maiden mark is the internationally recognized indicator of authentic pure Welsh gold.  Formerly used by the Gwynfynydd gold mine, Aur Cymru Limited is now the exclusive owner of the Welsh Maiden trademark and Welsh Maiden Assay Office mark. We only use the Welsh Maiden mark on items unblended with other golds. The Welsh Maiden mark is highly prized by those seeking authentic 100% pure Welsh gold.

No, it doesn’t. There is a myth that it is naturally rose coloured and some manufacturers artificially induce that colour by introducing copper into the mixture.

Yes, we do.

The words are used interchangeably.  In the USA, the word ‘band’ is used whereas in the United Kingdom (which includes Wales) the word ‘ring’ is used.

Would you set a customer’s own gemstone in one of your rings?

At present, we are unable to offer this as an option. However, all of our gemstones are ethically-sourced.

Jewellery is rarely made in 24 carat gold (that is, 100% pure gold) because it is too soft and easily damaged. Over the centuries jewellers have added other metals, often silver, to add durability.  The percentage of other metals added to the gold determines whether a ring will be 9 carat, 14 carat, 18 carat or 22 carat. The Assay Office tests the particular piece of jewellery and marks it with the appropriate carat designation, which is referred to by the Assay Office as the Standard Mark.  In the case of an 18 carat item it will bear the Standard Mark 750, the figure shows that the article consists of 750 parts of gold by weight to 250 parts of other metals i.e. 75% gold.   This is equal to 18 carats (18 parts in every 24), the traditional way of describing the purity of gold.  However the Assay Office will still mark the item as 18 carat if the gold content is higher than 75% but not quite up to 91.6% which would take the item into the 22 carat category.

We have our Welsh gold securely refined for us by a long established UK specialist company to slightly in excess of 18 carat purity that means that the Welsh gold content is a little over 750 parts per thousand. Occasionally we have our Welsh gold refined to 22 carat which is 916 parts of gold per thousand. We like to have a small amount of 22 carat Welsh gold available as customers sometimes ask for repairs to their old 22 carat jewellery. In the main, people choose 18 carat rings because it is harder wearing than higher carat Welsh gold. All our rings and other jewellery are hallmarked by one of the four UK Assay Offices. We can also supply 9 carat Welsh gold.

Yes, you will.

The words ‘Aur Cymru’ mean ‘Welsh Gold’ in the Welsh language.

Our main source is gold panned from rivers and streams in Wales (whilst observing Sites of Special Scientific Interest). This is time-consuming and yields are low, meaning we can only supply a limited number of 100% Welsh gold items each year. We also have a reserve stock from the old Gwynfyndd mine.

We feel strongly that those companies that use phrases such as ‘a touch of Welsh gold’ should be legally required to state exactly what the Welsh gold content is.  It is difficult to think of any product where the vendor is not required to disclose what it contains and until the speculation is ended by an open statement of content, there will always be doubt.

When you buy from Aur Cymru Limited we state and certify exactly what the Welsh gold content is.

Browse Welsh gold wedding rings here.