“There’s gold in them thar hills!”

“Deffrwch Cymru cysglyd gwlad y gan,
Dwfn yw’r gwendid bychan yw y fflam
Every day when I wake up I thank the lord I’m Welsh”
– International Velvet, Catatonia

Regular readers of The Moodie Blog will know that I get about a fair bit, albeit in the line of duty. So far this year I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to New York City (x 4), Madrid, Venice, Hong Kong, Paris, Istanbul, Milan, Monaco and Cannes – not bad for a supposed part-timer. Last week I went to Bodelwyddan, in North Wales. God’s country. Believe me, I saved the best til last.

Miners at the Clogau Gold Mine in the 1900s

The reason for my trip was a visit to Clogau, the Welsh jewellery brand famous for including a touch of rare Welsh gold in every piece it produces. That happens to be the same gold as used by British Royalty for over 100 years, which was mined from the now-closed Clogau mine.

Rock with gold from the Clogau mine

I’ve been writing about travel retail for over 16 years and – Welsh bias aside – Clogau is perhaps the most interesting brand I’ve ever come across. Its story is genuinely fascinating. It’s a family business that was born pretty much by accident, when local entrepreneur William (Bill) Roberts just happened to buy a defunct gold mine, located in the wild Snowdonia mountains. He wanted to re-open the mine as a tourist attraction, and even bought a cable car to go with it. When planning permission for that was denied, he re-opened the mine, managed to extract some of the distinctive rose-coloured precious metal, and in 1992, Clogau Gold was born.

Clogau Creative Designer Samantha Roberts shows off her work to The Moodie Report’s Rebecca Mann

Initially, just five lines of jewellery were created, using Wales as the sole design inspiration. Today, that portfolio – and the company of three – has grown exponentially. Around 50 people now operate Clogau’s North Wales Head Office. But it remains a family business. Bill’s son Ben became Managing Director of Clogau in 2007. His sister Samantha is the brand’s Creative Designer. The landscape, history and heritage of Wales remain key elements, on all levels.

The Clogau team keep a welcome in the hillside

During the course of my two-day visit, I met virtually every single employee; enjoyed a preview of the 2013 collections; and visited Swallow Falls in Betws-Y-Coed, the inspiration for a new white topaz collection. I learned more about the brand’s CSR philosophy (Clogau is a generous supporter of Hope House Children’s Hospices, which serve its local community); and discovered that it is an official sponsor of the Wales Polo Team and Welsh Polo Association (confession: I didn’t know we even HAD a polo team. Hope they’re having more success than our rugby boys). Given that Clogau’s Brand Ambassador is Claire Jones, former official Royal harpist to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, it is no exaggeration to say that Clogau is a brand imbued from top to toe with a unique and distinctive Welsh Sense of Place.

Swallow Falls in Betws-Y-Coed: the inspiration for Clogau’s new white topaz collection

But the best bit? The people behind the brand. Clogau is run by a talented, capable yet personable team – a combination that sometimes feels as rare as the gold in its jewellery. The hospitality shown to me on my trip proved beyond a doubt that North Walians (known affectionately as Gogs by soft Southerners such as I, from Gogledd, the Welsh word for North) do indeed “keep a welcome in the hillside”. Over a magnificent dinner Bill regaled me with tales of his youth, life, family and business. He also revealed tentative plans to re-open the Clogau mine in the future, a move which would help resolve the issue of the company’s dwindling gold stockpile.

Clogau Brand Ambassador Claire Jones perfoms at The Moodie Report 10th Anniversary Charity Ball in Hong Kong

Meanwhile, it’s business as usual for travel retail, a channel in which Clogau continues to make great progress, particularly since the 2009 appointment of David Butler, as Head of International Sales. To date the brand has established a significant inflight presence globally; in 2013 it will focus on airport expansion. Brace yourselves, then, for a new multi-national gold rush. The Welsh are coming.

– The full feature on Clogau will be published by The Moodie Report in January 2013.