While the nonstop buzz around the upcoming royal wedding has fixated primarily on Meghan Markle’s stunning three-stone engagement ring (because, duh, it’s b-e-a-u-tiful), the royal wedding bands are another important piece of jewelry that the couple will have to choose before their May 2018 nuptials.
Jewelry experts weighed in on what Markle’s ring could potentially look like prior to the engagement (which we all knew was inevitable), and now they’re also making predictions on the wedding bands. Tanya Dukes, jewelry and fashion editor/stylist and former accessories editor at Brides, believes that it’s basically a certainty that the royal wedding bands will feature Welsh gold, since it’s been a tradition within the family that dates back to Prince Harry’s grandparents. Dukes also noted that Markle frequently wears yellow-gold jewelry, so a Clogau gold wedding band would mirror her own personal style. The Clogau gold also has a slightly pink hue to it, which makes it even more one-of-a-kind and fit for a princess. Dukes was fairly spot-on in terms of her engagement-ring guesses, so we trust her wedding-ring judgement.
According to Entertainment Tonight, the royal family has used this specific Welsh gold from the Clogau St. David’s Mine for the past century. From the queen mother to Princess Diana to Kate Middleton, the royal wedding rings have featured Clogau gold. No pressure, Meghan and Harry.
And, lo and behold, it looks like Dukes's royal jewelry prediction might be correct again. Ben Roberts, the Clogau managing director, confirmed to Reuters that Markle's wedding ring will most likely be made in their London workshop, and will feature Welsh gold with a signature dragon engraving. Roberts also expects her wedding band will be made from a lighter shade of gold to match her engagement ring, as opposed to Clogau's distinct rose gold. "Looking at her engagement ring, it will probably have to match, so it will probably be yellow," he said to Reuters.
Roberts originally told ET that the royals probably began extracting from this specific gold mine in Wales because it "was the most productive mine in the whole of the country, and it still remains in the Guinness book of world records for that reason." Currently, the Clogau St. David’s mine is deemed "exhausted," which means it’s hard to remove the gold. Because this makes the mine’s gold extremely rare, you can bet your bottom dollar there’s a hefty price tag attached. "We’ve generally been paying anywhere between 6 to 10 times the value of gold, so you could see that there’s an obvious premium there," Roberts added. "But recently, an auction up here in North Wales for two ounces of Welsh gold went for 30 times its gold value."
While contemporary royal women have kept in line with the Welsh gold wedding band tradition, Prince William was the first male royal to choose not to wear this style. So, if Prince Harry and Markle decide to ditch the Welsh gold, it wouldn’t come as much of a shock. Harry himself may also follow in his brother's footsteps and choose not to wear a wedding band at all.
See more:Meghan Markle’s Engagement Ring: Get the Look
With officially less than two months until the royal wedding (mark your calendars!), we couldn't be more excited as more details begin to unfold, like the pair's wedding cake and more guest list information. Since couples typically want to pick out their wedding bands at least two months before the wedding to allot enough time for production, we're hoping these royals will place their orders soon, especially considering they may turn to rare Welsh gold.
