Wales has been known as the leading producer of the best quality gold in the world for centuries. Welsh gold and Clogau gold is known since centuries to be the purest and the rarest kind of gold in the world. Wales has an eventful history for gold extraction that dates back to centuries. Several evidences exist that show that mining activities were done in Wales by the Romans in a serious manner. Hundreds of slaves had been brought here in Wales before centuries to work on the mines and extract the precious gold that only existed here.

Some even believe that Welsh gold and Clogau gold was the main reasons why the Romans had invaded Wales in the first place. The gold produced in Wales is known to be the most expensive in the world due to its purity and also because it is extremely rare. There are only two known places in Wales that are known to naturally produce this type of gold.

Welsh gold has been favored by the Royalties in centuries. The British Royal family including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Princess Diana had all preferred to have a wedding ring made from this precious gold. Gold mining in Wales today is almost non existent due to the dwindling quantity of gold found and the high expenses involved in the extraction process.

Over the centuries a few gold mines have played an important role in the history of Wales, the most important ones are mentioned below:

• Dolaucothi Gold mines- this is known to be one of the most important gold mines in the world. This mine is located near the village of Pumsaint. It is believed that mining had first started here during the Bronze Age and it continued till 1938 when it was closed due to economical factors. In the Roman period, during 75 AD to 300 AD extensive mining had been carried out here by the Romans. In 1941 the mine had been donated to the National Trust and the extensive amount of gold found from the nearby village of Pumsaint went to the British museum.

• The Gwynfynydd mine- this gold mine is located in North Wales in Dolgellau. Mining activities came to a halt here in 1998 when it no longer remained economical to extract gold from the mines here. The mine was first discovered in 1860 and in 1998 the operation was shut down due to several issues. There were many health and safety concerns for the workers. Also the environmental threat posed by the mine was quite considerable.
• The Clogau mine- the Clogau mine was originally a copper mine until gold was discovered here in 1862.

This mine has been the producer of the famous Clogau gold which has been extremely rare and costly. During its production years it produced a considerable amount of ore until it had to be shut down in 1911. Several more attempts were made later to continue mining here on a small scale which was all abandoned in 1998.
These were the three most important gold mines in Wales that shaped the history and culture of Wales over the centuries.