Could miners be about to uncover 'missed' nuggets of royal Welsh gold?

The waste site is in the Dolgellau Gold Belt of North Wales - an area which saw a mini gold-rush in 1862. Credit: PA Images

Gold prospectors are set to dig up waste tips in Dolgellau in the hunt for the "royal" precious metal - after being convinced precious nuggets have been missed.

Miners will pan a rock dumping ground in the search for Welsh gold which has made generations of Royal Family wedding rings including the Queen.

The Clogau mine has the largest quantity of gold from any region in Britain and has led to a tradition of royal brides wearing Welsh gold.

Welsh gold has been used for royal wedding rings for years. Credit: PA Images

Company Alba Mineral Resources will launch a "pitting and sampling" programme at the waste rock dump near the former mine.

The dump, which covers almost 3,000 square metres, comprises ore that has been mined and discarded before it was processed for its gold content.

The initial five digs will focus on "higher grade zones" of the dump where bosses expect to find gold samples.

Mark Austin, Alba Mineral's Chief Operating Officer, said: "This second pitting and sampling phase should give us a more accurate assessment of the economic potential of one section of the waste rock dump at Clogau."

The mine has traditionally been linked with gold for royal wedding rings. Credit: PA Images

The company has been given permission to undertake the exploratory waste site digs by the Mineral Planning Authority and Natural Resources Wales.

Pure raw Welsh gold was first used in a Royal wedding by the Queen Mother in her marriage to the Duke of York in 1923.

Other Royal weddings include Princess Anne in 1973,  Diana Princess of Wales in 1981, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 and Meghan Duchess of Sussex in 2018.