In the depths of a historic mine, a handful of men tracks down a precious metal linked to the British crown, while the courses fly away.
In the heart of the Welsh mountains, an old mine comes back to life under the flambe of gold prices. The Galleries of Clugau-St David’s, abandoned for decades, resonate again from the noise of the pickles and the controlled explosions. A specialized company methodically explores the quartz veins there, hoping to find the precious metal there which served to forge the alliances of the Windsor.
Access is through shiny scales and narrow tunnels, immersed in persistent humidity. After months of pumping to evacuate the stagnant water, the teams were able to reach the most promising levels, where quartz, a gold presence indicator, abounds. Each day, wagons come back painfully to the surface of the rock blocks, carefully sorted to extract the golden glitter.
-This site nestled in the wilderness experienced its golden age in the 19th century before closing its doors in 1998, while the ounce was worth barely $ 300. Today, with a course exceeding 3.300 dollars, the revival of the farm takes on a completely different dimension. The rarity of this gold, associated with British royal history, makes it an exceptional product. For a century, he has been in the composition of the alliances of the members of the royal family, from the Queen Mother to Meghan Markle via Lady Diana.
The leaders of Alba Mineral Resources rely on this notoriety to justify prices up to ten times higher than those of the market. Proof of this added value, a piece struck with the gold from Clugau sold 20,000 pounds during an auction, well beyond its intrinsic value. Despite modest production – a few hundred ounces per year – the company ensures the economic viability of the project, supported by an investment of four million pounds.
However, the enthusiasm of investors contrasts with the indifference of the inhabitants of Dolgellau, the neighboring small town. If some are worried about environmental impacts, many ignore until the existence of this mining heritage. In local pubs, we are talking more about rugby than the royal mine, a discreet symbol of a Welsh history that continues to shine … out of sight.
