We were delighted to have Richard Parks in the office today following the completion of his amazing 737 Challenge in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care back in July of last year.
Grateful for the support from Clogau as official sponsor, and funds raised via our dedicated 737 Challenge jewellery collection, Richard presented Managing Director Ben Roberts with a very special gift from his travels.
Thank you Richard and the rest of the 737 Challenge team!
Local children’s charity Ty Gobaith are holding their very first Midnight Pyjama Walk this Friday 11th May, which Clogau are delighted to be sponsoring.
This ladies only event, taking place at the magical hour of midnight, aims to support parents who care for life-limited children and know all too well how it feels to be deprived of sleep.
As one of the hospice’s visiting Mums said “It is a real luxury to stay at Ty Gobaith and enjoy a whole night’s sleep – it helps me to re-charge my batteries, ready for the interrupted sleep of the days & weeks ahead.”
The Clogau ladies will be donning their pyjamas and walking the 6 miles in aid of Ty Gobaith children’s charity and the care and support they provide to the children and their families.
If you can’t join the walk yourself, please sponsor us and together we can all make a difference to the lives of families visiting Ty Gobaith.
Thank you x
We’re delighted to hear the news that we have been shortlisted in not one, but three, categories in the UK Jewellery Awards 2012.
The categories are:
- Jewellery Brand of the Year
- Supplier of the Year
- Marketing Campaign of the Year
The news was announced on 4th April at an exclusive shortlist event in London’s No.11 Cavendish Square.
Result are to follow on Thursday 12th July, so fingers crossed until then!
The arrival of the Spring & Summer 2012 brochure, packed full of brand new pieces of fine Welsh gold jewellery, is the current main talking-point at Clogau HQ.
It’s 90, to be exact, beautiful additions include extensions to existing collections as well as some wonderful new ones. A section dedicated to our Welsh heritage and history is also a welcome new arrival.
As ever, the best-selling Milestones collection has welcomed some new members into its family of bead charms as well as a less-expensive bracelet featuring a Tree of Life clasp rather than original clip design – take a look here.
One of the collections we’re most excited about is Heartstrings, featuring heart and harp shaped pieces inspired by the tradition of appointing a harpist to the Royal court, as well as the musical instrument of Wales.
Brand ambassador Claire Jones, former official Royal harpist, will be promoting the Heartstrings collection by wearing it throughout her world tour this year.
Another important addition is the Royal Jubilee collection, created in association with Historic Royal Palaces, to commemorate the 2012 Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
You can view the entire selection of new items now on our website, just go here.
This week, Clogau joined the jewellery world elite exhibiting at The Jewellery Show at The Spring Fair, NEC Birmingham. Although it certainly wasn’t our first time at the show, this year’s event was quite a bit more special than the rest.
Over the past year or so, you may have noticed that a few things have changed around here. Probably our most noticable ones are our product brochures and website, which now make it much easier for you to view our fabulous jewellery!
We presented our new look and collections to the idustry at The Jewellery Show, and we couldn’t have asked for a better response!
In celebration of our Royal association, and new Heartstrings collection, we offered visitors an exclusive performance by Claire Jones, former Royal harpist to the Prince of Wales.
Here is some of the Clogau family with Claire and her Salvi harp after the performance.
Why use three words this Valentine’s when you can give just two – Clogau Gold
Possibly the most romatic gift you can give this Valentine’s, our pieces of sentimental jewellery are perfect for those times when you need something truly special, meaningful and lasting.
What better occasion than this Valentine’s Day.
We’ve put together a selection of our most romantic jewellery for you to be inspired by, and choose the perfect piece to suit the one you love.
Worried she may not like it? We understand that it’s important to you that she loves this gift, and so if she doesn’t or if she would prefer something else we’ve extended our returns policy so that you can return/exchange it up until 27th February.
Special Valentine’s Offer
(find out more)
We’re offering all customers who purchase any one of our four best-selling Milestones bead charm bracelets a complimentary Frog Prince bead charm. He’s worth £79!
Shop the Milestones collection now
Whatever you choose this Valentine’s, don’t forget to make the right first impression with our luxurious gift wrap (£5.50) or gift bag (£3.50).
Here at Clogau Gold, we hope you had a fabulous Christmas and are sending you the very best of wishes for 2012!
Thank you for all your support in 2011
There’s only 23 days to go until Christmas, and so here at Clogau HQ, we’ve made a few changes in order to help you de-stress this festive season!
We’re now open Saturdays
We’re open on Saturday 3rd, 10th and 17th December between 9am and 1pm to take your order. Just call our Sales team on 0845 606 88 77.
Extended returns
Any gift you buy now can be returned up until 15th January, just in case it doesn’t fit or they’d prefer something else!
Last order dates
So that we can guarantee your order arrives to you in time for Christmas, we’d like to remind you of these last order dates:
Order value £249.99, or below, sent by Recorded Signed-For Delivery™ (4-11 working days): order by FRIDAY 9th DECEMBER
Or, choose to upgrade your postage to Special Next Day Delivery™ for £5.40
Order value £250, or more, Special Next Day Delivery™ (next working day): order by 4pm THURSDAY 22nd DECEMBER
Finishing touches
For that extra special first impression, let us wrap your gift for you for just £5.50, which includes a personal message of your choice. Or, use a gift bag for
just £3.50.
Some things that have stayed the same…
With your Clogau order you still receive all of the following:
Earlier this month we were delighted to announce that we were going to be opening a brand new outlet store, in time for Christmas, at the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet!
We’ve been working around the clock trying to get the store open as soon as
possible, and we can now tell you that the grand opening event will be held this weekend – 26th & 27th November.
The outlet store will sell past seasons jewellery collections at discounted prices (a minimum of 30% off) offering you the perfect opportunity to gift someone special with Clogau Gold this Christmas.
To make giving Clogau this festive season even more affordable, the outlet store will be holding a different promotion during each week of December, beginning with 60% off all gold rings!
We’d love you to join us at the grand opening event this weekend where we’ll have a fabulous selection of jewellery on show and some unmissable promotions!
For directions to Cheshire Oaks, see here.
Our Outlet store will be celebrating its 2nd birthday tomorrow – hooray!
Store Manager, Ceri, will be warmly welcoming visitors this Saturday (28th Oct) with complimentary refreshments to enjoy while browsing the many beautiful collections of fine jewellery on show.
Customers will benefit from a whole host of celebratory promotions including free items, gift vouchers and extra discounts as a “Thank You” for the last two years of the store’s success.
Some offers are limited, so if you’re going to pay us a visit you’re best off going early as not to miss out!
Where is the Clogau Outlet?
The store is located at the Bridgend Designer Outlet, South Wales.
To find out more, such as directions and opening hours, visit the store’s website: http://www.clogauoutlet.co.uk/
Welcome to the Clogau Gold blog!
Here, we will endeavour to keep you updated with all aspects of Clogau Gold. We’ll also give you advice on how to look after your jewellery, wedding rings sneak-previews of our latest jewellery ideas and up-coming collections, as well as much more.
We see the Clogau Gold blog as a more informal area where we can add as much insight as we can. Its an area where people interested in our company can provide information of what they would like to see within the next range, what they like, don’t like and general information of how you feel we can go that extra mile.
We know that purchasing an item of jewellery can be a very cold process, especially when done online and that’s one reason the Clogau Gold Blog was created whereby we can help as much as possible in you decision. Be it general jewellery, gold, silver or diamond advice – if, by the end of it, you don’t purchase from Clogau Gold but are more insightful in making an online jewellery purchase; then that’s not a bad thing in our eyes.
Clogau Gold Miners
Jewellery brand Clogau Gold, have launched a revolutionary e-tailing platform, through which authorised Clogau retailers can retail the whole of the Clogau range to their customers without the worry of stock control, dispatch or even the maintenance of website security or payment gateways.
In a bid to see the back of low quality websites retailing Clogau Gold, Clogau are giving the web platform to their retailers free of charge, providing them with a micro-site they can add to their existing online presence or as a stand-alone site, retailing Clogau items with no website maintenance, stock control concerns or hosting/web costs essentially allowing all Clogau Gold retailers to sell online with almost no effort.
Ben Roberts, MD expresses his reticence to closing down retailers’ websites like so many other brands have. “We have built our retail partners a ready to use, out-of-the-box, customisable solution. The sites which sit on Clogau’s own servers and links from the retailers own site, offers significant benefits to the retailer and consumer. It also ensures consistency of brand message and identity across e-commerce and other retail channels”
“Many brands have, to varying degrees, restricted retailers from having a web presence. We believe that to support our retailers with a one-step solution in an area that is often confusing and time consuming, is one that will be welcome. We have built a platform from which a retailer can simply sell our portfolio from their dedicated site in an environment that matches the quality of the products. While the Clogau brand continues to grow, we are committed to strengthening our relationships with our retailers. It would be counter-productive to close down hard-won retailers over issues with their websites. We will reap mutual long-term benefits if we supply them with the tools they need to do it properly.”
The site itself has been in development for over a year and works real-time with Clogau Gold’s jewellery stock control systems. This ensures that stock levels on the retailers dedicated sites are all accurate and updated within seconds at all times of the day.
There will now be parity between online promotions at Clogau’s consumer facing site and the sites of our retailers, so when an offer or incentive is run on Clogau’s own site it’s also runs on the sites of all our participating retailers.
The trial site (http://cliveranger.clogau.co.uk/) has been partnered with Clive Ranger Jewellers in Cardiff and was launched at http://www.cliveranger.co.uk. To view in more detail just click on Clogau under the “Collections” menu. Although the page you are taken to appears to be part of the Clive Ranger site, it is actually an area hosted and maintained by Clogau Gold or to view a generic demonstration test.clogau.co.uk and imagine your site simply linking here when your customer clicks “Clogau”.
Benefits of the web platform to Clogau retailers are vast; reporting on sales, best selling items, financial movements as well as brand consistency, shared stock with Clogau headquarters.
June is set to be an exciting and busy week for us here at Clogau – we’re going to Vegas!
We’ll be exhibiting at the JCK show, which is the US jewellery industry’s premier trade event. It’s the first time for us.
Our main focus will be on promoting our new Inner Charm collection which is already showing lots of promise here in the UK and in the travel retail sector – it’s already topping our best-sellers list. So if that’s anything to go by, Vegas should definitely prove to be a worthwhile excursion from our offices in North Wales as we aim to break into the American market.
The JCK Las Vegas exhibition is a 4-day event devoted to jewellery. It’s a place where many of the industry’s leading brands come together to showcase their best and latest pieces. It’s also a great opportunity to meet up with some current clients and make contact with potential future buyers. You never quite know what you’ll get at these types of events but, for us at least, we’ve always found them to be fruitful avenues for new business.
Hope to see you there!
Well it’s all go here at Clogau at the moment. No sooner we will be packing up from the JCK show in Las Vegas and it’ll be time to head off to the Treasure exhibition in London for a whole week from June 7-13.
Again, we’ll be focusing on our new Inner Charm range but we’ll also be showcasing some of our older pieces from our Tree of Life and Cariad ranges. This should give visitors a good idea of what Clogau is all about, where we’re at now and where we’re going in the future.
Uniquely for an event of this type, we’ll also be selling jewellery from our stand. Normally at these shows there is a no-buy no-sell policy where money cannot exchange hands. So it’ll be exciting to see what the response will be from those visiting the stand!
This year we’re being shortlisted for two prestigious awards at the annual UK Jewellery Awards. The winners will be announced on July 15 within the grand settings of the Grosvenor House in London’s Park Lane.
Last year we just missed out on the Supplier of the Year award, which went to Sequel. This year however, we’re hoping that our hard work, dedication and continued success will earn us the top spot, along with our customer service quality, design innovations, manufacturing quality, and commitment to creating new product lines.
We’ve also been shortlisted for the Jewellery E-tailer of the Year award which judges how effectively brands use the internet in terms of usability, innovative marketing techniques, creating promotions, stock control and generating sales growth.
And we’ll even be sponsoring the Multiple Retailer of the Year Award in which the winner needs to excel in areas such as consistency, offering something different from the opposition, development of staff careers, marketing, buying skills, integrating new technologies, and selling skills.
Good luck to everybody involved!
Ever wondered what Welsh gold looks like when it first comes out of the ground? Well, if you squint hard enough at these images you’ll see traces of gold in them – Welsh gold from the Clogau St. David’s Gold Mine in Bontddu.
The images are from our own archives and were taken in the late 1980s when we first began mining. It was an immensely exciting time for everybody concerned because nobody had any idea just how much Welsh Gold was still left in the mine.
Luckily, there was enough to continue some small scale mining for several years. And of course, a small amount is included in each piece of Clogau Gold jewellery.
Well, London’s Treasure exhibition has come and gone. It was a fairly quiet affair but we are glad to have been there. For starters, it was our first ever London exhibition which meant that our jewellery was exposed to a new audience who had little prior knowledge about who we are or what we do. We showcased a full collection of items and there was a lot of interest in our new Inner Charm range. People also wanted to know where their nearest Clogau Gold stockist is located, which was very encouraging for us as we plan to break into the South East of England more and more in the future.
When I proposed to my now wife I was under the impression it would be a three or four year engagement, although she was thinking of months rather than years. The cost of a wedding – or a perfect wedding – was way out of my budget.
We looked at all of our in and out goings and we had £5,000 with a £1,000 credit card that we really didn’t want to touch but kept just in case. This also included the saving we would accumulate in the run up to the big day which amounted to about £1,500. It wasn’t a lot but we didn’t want to live like hermits as this would put far too much unwanted pressure in an already stressful few months ahead.
Firstly, you need to break up the big costs such as the venue, food, drinks, rings, dresses. Then you need to account for everything else – and I mean everything. This way you don’t get hit in the final through and make cut backs. There would be nothing worse that being sat at the head table wishing I had spent a little bit extra on something.
I have compiled a list of what we wanted and what was spent.
Wedding Dress: Now this was a shock to me but I came home one day and found my wife on www.ebay.co.uk looking at wedding dresses. This was something I thought you couldn’t compromise on, although she actually had a big smile on her face. Her theory was, it has been worn by one person before her and made them happy and she can have the same dress at a fraction of the price. What I didn’t know was that she had done the shopping thing that same day with her mum and sister trying on every wedding dress – but with no intention of purchasing one! She was testing out the brands, styles and sizes so that she could choose something on ebay later that evening. I soon got pushed to one side as she searched some more. (Incidentally, the dress was put back on ebay after the wedding where we almost got the money back!)
: We originally wanted a stylish classic car, although we later found out from a few simple Google searchers that it would cost around £300+. So we put a profile update on Facebook and Twitter asking our entire friend list if they or their parents or anyone they knew had an old fashioned car that we could use for our wedding. After a week of chatting and updating we had the choice of two cars and a horse and carriage! We went with a white soft top as you can see in one of the pictures. It wasn’t free but much less than £300.
: This was the crunch decision for the entire budget and it was the hardest decision of all to make. It was simply not feasible to get any venue to accommodate 120 guests at the budget we had proposed. So again we had to be imaginative. A good friend of my parents has a large mansion in a town just a few miles away. Although it was not the house we had in mind, as we did not want a huge bill for broken ornaments, it had the land surrounding the house. The idea was to construct several marquees creating one large marquee. This was by far the most daunting and time consuming task of all. We had to test the construction beforehand as the marquees were not made by same manufacturers and we had no idea how it would look. Although with a bit of touching up and fabrics bought from a market stall it was perfect – and FREE!
: Again, picking the perfect wedding food for 120+ guests was not going to be easy on a budget. We didn’t want to spend an excessive amount on getting a catering company involved, so we turned to family and friends and got on the phone. We started with mums and my mum took no hesitation in offering her skills, along with my wife’s mum. My grandparents also helped as much as they could as my granddad was a chef in his day. We went for a light pate with dry toast to start with, a fish salad for the main followed by strawberries and cream. Not the most extravagant but it was presented really well and we didn’t have a single complaint. Also the reason we went with fish for the main course was because Leanne’s dad is a fisherman and two days before the wedding he and I went out and caught 300 mackerel just off the coast of Anglesey North Wales, gutted, filleted and blast frozen ready for the day. (I understand things like this are not available to everyone but you will probably have contacts I could have only wished for – it’s just a matter of looking and asking.)
: Flower arranging is an art and the flowers would be an important focal point as the venue with no flowers would not look like a wedding. It’d probably look more like a family BBQ! Again we turned to family and friends. By the way, do not be scared of asking for help with your big day. Without our family and friends the day would not have been possible on our budget. Everyone involved took the task as a part of them creating and making our big day special. Leanne’s Aunt who runs a local pub put herself forward. We gave her a budget and colours and simply left it to her imagination.
: Again this sounds too good to be true but Leanne’s best friends dad is the well renowned Phil Wenlock begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting (well-renowned in North Wales) for his wedding photography and he kindly offered his services on the day for free. Although he was also a guest and a good family friend it was a bit of work and a lot of play. Again I could almost guarantee in your facebook list you will have one friend that is a budding or keen photographer who would be more than happy to take some classic pictures. If you haven’t, Google “wedding pictures” and take a look at the classic shots. Why not let all your guests take the pictures? The quality of cameras have come a long way in the past 10 years and I would be very suprised if you you did’t have one you liked of each shot. Think about it; let’s say you have 50 guests all taking a picture as you cut the cake, isn’t is very likely that just get one perfect picture? Plus, when they look through the album in years to come they can say “I took that picture!”
: As shown in the picture, we fell in love with a cake we saw at a wedding fair. It was a normal three tear wedding cake but the outside was all covered in maltesers – we wanted it! The only person we knew with any chance of creating such a master piece was Leanne’s Nan. She made a three tear chocolate base with an outer layer of white chocolate and then melted each individual malteser in place. She actually said it was not that hard, just time consuming.
: The rings was one area we did not want too scrimp as it’s one of the only things we take away from the day and keep. As we are Welsh we had to have a Clogau Gold wedding ring. Firstly, it contains one of the rarest gold in the world and secondly, it’s also worn by The British Royal Family. Leanne went for the Yellow and rose gold tree of life ring where as I went for a more classic cariad ring (cariad meaning Love, Darling, Sweetheart, in Welsh).
: This is one area we really thought we would make a massive saving although it turned out we went a bit extravagant with the cards and the costs soon mounted up. We went with a plain cream card with a dark purple indented pattern, and some text glued on the purple. Basically, the invitation was cream with a smaller purple card glued on with the text on a white paper glued on the purple card. This was folded and held by a purple ribbon. Now I know that sounds like something that a few Blue Peter presenters would create in about five minutes, but it honestly looked superb. Although the fact that we doubled up on card mounted up the cost.
Grooms outfit
: Now I was not that fused on what I was put in on the day. To me, a suit is a suit – although I did want cream form some strange reason! My wife, however, had chosen a grey penguin rented suit. Again all ushers where matching with a slight difference in waist coat. Again keeping cost down all ushers paid for their own suit hire. It was only £75, yet it saved us a small fortune. This was the same for bridesmaids who chose their own dress and again sold it on ebay which meant the dress ended up costing them £20 for the day.
: Initially, this was one of the most daunting tasks, yet in the end become the simplest. Again we turned to www.Facebook.com and as strange as it sounds we soon had to hold auditions for young bands wanting a bit of exposure. As we had no venue we held a day in our back garden where by a band had an hour to impress the bride. Out of 5 bands we ended up using two. We also had a DJ not so much for mic work but for the speakers. We simply hooked up an iPod with a pre-planned and timed list of music. It was very simple yet effective.
: We had gone to several wedding shows and the only table display that was impressive yet cheap to mass produce was balloons and feathers. The balloons were a simple purchase yet the feathers were expensive being died to the right colour so this again become another manual job. The only place I could think of was a hotel just down the road that had peacocks roaming within the grounds so I asked them if I could take a walk round twice a week and pick up what I could. To be honest we didn’t collect enough to cover each table but it still saved a large amount of cash. We also had to die the feathers. By the way, do not try and spray them with spray paint as they clot and don’t look right at all! Once we got hold of the perfect colour die we just left them in the bath over night.
: Now I know I have mentioned this once or twice but it really saved us a fortune and if you haven’t guessed it, they came from ebay. For the table gifts we got plain boxes and small heart shaped chocolates. This again took more time than cost as the boxes arrived flat, but it looked really good and finished the table perfectly.
: For the drinks we got a bottle of red and white wine on each table from Sainsbury’s. Not the most expensive but not the cheapest either. We also got a local mobile bar company. This didn’t cost us anything as they just charged per order.
: OK, your family and friends have helped you out and they’re all looking forward to the big day. Now it’s time for them, as well as you, to sit back and enjoy the day and for this to happen you will need some staff for the day. We went with one member of staff for every twenty people. That worked out at six staff and it worked well. We put an ad in the paper for staff for a day and were inundated with response. One thing we did specifywas that they had to invoice us and be self employed as we were not a company. If they were not self-employed but told us otherwise, the tax man might come knocking and it was up to them to deal with it as we have kept above board.
: Finding a friend with 120 matching chairs was not an option. We had a look at hire ring but it was still very expensive and Leanne remembered a local theatre had movable chairs. We spoke with them about how they could help us and they were more than happy to accommodate, we just had to sign a £50 a chair brakeage charge (Two Broke) and place a £100 pound donation to the theatre.
Honeymoon: This is what I was most looking forward to! After all the commotion, a two week getaway would be perfect – although keeping the now wife and I both happy was a task in itself! Like the rings, I didn’t want to scrimp as it could make or break the entire thing, so we had to compromise. Two weeks got cut to ten days and we stayed at the Hayatt Regency in Sharm el shake Egypt – it was worth every penny!
All in all, it was one of if not the most stressful time of my life. But the day was perfect. Sometimes I look back ask myself, “Would I spend an extra £10,000 so that I could just respond ‘sure just get it’ to my wife’s every wish?” I don’t think I would.
Unless you have won the lottery or your second name is Shake, it’s a lot of money for a single day that we can now put towards our future. We did a lot of pleading and borrowing but you will be surprised at the change in generosity from the people around you just so they can contribute to your big day.
Outgoing Spend
Registra 50
Priest 50
Wedding Certificate 15
Organist 35
Wedding Bells 40
Venue 0
Venue Decoration 370
Food 300
His Wedding Ring 450
Her Wedding ring 400
Flowers 300
Postage 17
Music 0
Table decorations 50
Staff 295
Plates and Cutlerry 420
Chairs 200
Wedding Dress 300
Grooms Suit 85
Wine – White and Red 96
Cake 0
Guest Book 29
Honeymoon 1400
Total £4902
Sincere ‘thanks’ and ‘congratulations’ go to Lucy and Adam Cox who kindly sent in these pictures of their wedding day which took place June 26th.
Adam, who is 1/4 Welsh and Lucy who is from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, were married amongst the beautiful settings of the Swiss Gardens at Old Warden in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire – a perfect location to show off their Clogau Gold wedding rings.
Clogau clearly means a lot to them both and the content of rare Welsh gold was a key factor in their choice of wedding rings – a yellow gold Tree of Life wedding ring and 5mm rose gold court-shape Cariad ring.
“It is something to treasure from special memorable occasions in our lives, Adam’s watch was for his 18th birthday (10 years ago) and our wedding rings will forever remind us of what a spectacular day we had getting married”, says Lucy.
It’s very heart-warming to hear Lucy say that because each and every wedding ring has been painstakingly handcrafted for precisely that reason – to create a lasting reminder of the love couples share and the vows they promise together.
“Clogau gold jewellery is unique, and with not a huge amount left, you can really treasure what little there is of it. All of Clogau’s pieces are very unique.”
“Anyone can make a ring with loads of diamonds on it, but only Clogau can produce beauty and quality entwined into one,” says Lucy.
Everyone here at Clogau Gold would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Lucy and Adam and we wish them both a long and happy marriage together!
Sincere ‘thanks’ and ‘congratulations’ go to Lucy and Adam Cox who kindly sent in these pictures of their wedding day which took place June 26th.
Adam, who is 1/4 Welsh and Lucy who is from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, were married amongst the beautiful settings of the Swiss Gardens at Old Warden in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire – a perfect location to show off their Clogau Gold rings.
Clogau clearly means a lot to them both and the content of rare Welsh gold was a key factor in their choice of wedding rings.
“It is something to treasure from special memorable occasions in our lives, Adam’s watch was for his 18th Birthday (10 years ago) and our wedding rings will forever remind us of what a spectacular day we had getting married”, says Lucy.
It is very heart-warming and gratifying to hear Lucy say that because each and every wedding ring we create is painstakingly handcrafted for precisely that reason – to create a lasting reminder of the love couples share and the vows they promise together. We certainly hope this is true for Lucy and Adam.
“Clogau gold is unique, and with not a huge amount left, you can really treasure what little there is of it. All of Clogau’s pieces are very unique.”
“Anyone can make a ring with loads of diamonds on it, but only Clogau can produce beauty and quality entwined into one,” says Lucy.
Everyone here at Clogau Gold would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Lucy and Adam and we wish them both a long and happy marriage together.
This Wednesday – August 18 – we’ll be appearing on QVC 5 times throughout the day, offering you a unique chance to get your hands on some exclusive QVC-only Clogau Gold items at reduced prices. You can tune-in at these times:
12am-1am
12pm-1pm
4pm-5pm
7pm-8pm
11pm-12pm
Tune in to QVC
Freeview – channel 16
Freesat – channel 800
Sky – channel 640
Virgin TV – channel 740
“Today’s Special Value” item
During every Clogau show, QVC offer viewers the chance to purchase a special item at a discounted price. This is called the “Today’s Special Value” item, which is the ring you see on the right.
This unique ring features three bands of solid 9ct gold – two rose gold bands on the outside and a yellow gold band running through the centre. Together, these three bands represent three interconnected aspects to your life – health, love and happiness.
With little twists and turns, stops and starts, each band traces your own unique personal evolution through life. Wearing the ring will remind you of all the memories, people and emotions of your journey, as the design mimics the way each event is connected to the other, creating a unique life tapestry that is your own.
The handcraftsmanship is exceptional – it’s a ring that you could stare at all day long and never get tired of appreciating.
Its beauty, detail, and meaning have such significance and impact – everyone who sees it will go ‘wow!’ It is sure to be a talking point with friends, family and admirers.
As soon as you hold it, you are immediately struck by how substantial it feels and how much gold you are getting for your money. It has that reassuring weighty feel that lets you know that you’re wearing a genuine high quality piece of jewellery that is as solid as it is beautiful.
As with every piece of Clogau Gold, each ring contains a touch of one of the most sought-after and expensive golds on earth – rare Welsh gold from the Snowdonia mountains. This is the same gold that has been used in generations of Royal Family wedding rings – since 1921 in fact.
We’re very nearly ready to launch our brand new Autumn & Winter 2010 brochure!
This one is our best yet – not only will it introduce you to over 60 new items, including 8 completely new collections, but it will also give birth to Clogau’s new glamorous brand image…
Remember the infamous golden lady who’s featured in our brochures since Autumn 2007? Well, she has been replaced with some breathtaking lifestyle shots where Lucy Whitehouse, Miss Wales 2009 modelled our jewellery for us! The stunning pictures were taken at Bodysgallen Hall, Conwy, by renowned fashion photographer John Oakley.
Our new look is part of our ‘Touch’ campaign which will launch alongside the brochure in early September. ‘Touch’ is all about the ability Clogau jewellery has to emotionally and physically touch whoever wears it, also incorporating the ‘touch’ of rare Welsh gold that’s included in every piece of Clogau jewellery.
The theme of the new brochure is personalized, collectable jewellery. This theme is shown in our extended Inner Charm range which includes 6 new lockets and 8 new charms. Also, the brand new Affinity collection of stacking rings featuring yellow, rose and white gold bands with various designs such as the Tree of Life filigree or diamond set allowing you to create a look that is completely your own.
New collections for Autumn & Winter 2010 include the silver and rose gold Butterfly collection consisting of locket, earrings and ring. The butterfly signifies many qualities close to Clogau’s heart – freedom, purity and natural beauty. Also being launched is the more classical Mackintosh collection, inspired by one of the most creative figures of the early 20th century, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
The popularity of our Club collection has encouraged us to extend the range to include a cuff bangle, hoop earrings and a pendant. This has also been the case for our Milestones collection which has quickly become one of our best sellers. Our new additions to the Milestones bead charm range will be on many women’s wish lists.
Young Clogau fans won’t be disappointed either – we’ve added an additional 2 collections to the Clogau Kids range, Daisy the Lamb and Dyfrig the Dragon. The Dyfrig collection is actually in honor of Ty Gobaith’s mascot, a percentage of sales of this collection will be donated to the North Wales based children’s charity. Don’t think we’ve forgotten the men – our new Onyx collection and cufflinks will be sure to keep them happy this Winter.
The new Autumn & Winter 2010 items have already received lots of positive feedback on our Facebook page – one thing is for sure, Santa’s going to have to stock up on Clogau this Christmas.
In the next week or so Clogau jewellery customers will be receiving their new Autumn & Winter 2010 brochure through their letter boxes. Not only will they find 63 brand new products and 8 brand new collections, but also, that Clogau Gold has had a make-over.
We thought that since we’re introducing more and more contemporary jewellery pieces and collections, that our brand image should reflect this. We’ve said a fond “farewell” to our infamous golden lady to make way for a new set of stunning lifestyle shots to achieve the high-class glamour look we want.
The idea for our new image was taken from the original Clogau proposition – what we’re all about – ‘Fine jewellery with a touch of rare Welsh gold’. Ben Roberts, the MD, wanted to focus on the concept of ‘touch’. It’s quite clever really – a touch can be both physical and emotional … a Cariad wedding ring touches the finger of a bride on her wedding day, a loving mother touches her Milestones bracelet where each charm evokes a loving memory, being deeply moved by the gesture of a love one as they surprise you with a piece of Clogau jewellery. And every single one of these pieces holds a ‘touch’ of precious rare Welsh gold.
In July, we set out to achieve this look. A two day photo shoot took place in the gardens of the 17th century Bodysgallen Hall, a magnificent Grade 1 listed building here in Conwy, North Wales. Gathered here was renowned fashion photographer, John Oakley (who’s previously shot for brands such as Gossards), two beautiful models and the Clogau team, all with the intension of bringing to life the elegant jewellery amongst breathtaking Welsh surroundings.
Who better to ask to model our jewellery than a flesh-and-blood natural Welsh beauty, Lucy Whitehouse, former Miss Wales 2009. This is what she said about the shoot:
“The photo shoot for Clogau Gold gave me a wonderful opportunity to showcase an amazing Welsh company. Being Miss Wales 2009 couldn’t get better than having a two day photo shoot in beautiful North Wales wearing the fabulous Welsh gold. The shots I’ve seen so far are wonderful and I hope I’ve done Clogau Gold proud!”
Here’s a few of our new lifestyle shots that will from now on feature on all of our websites and customer communications. We hope you love them as much as we do – in fact, let us know what you think when you get your brochure, we’d love to hear from you!
“What on earth is a shop-in-shop?” I hear you shout! Give me a few minutes and a picture and all will be explained…
Known to us as a shop-in-shop, or to the guys in marketing as a branded retail display, a shop-in-shop is a clever display unit used in a shop to show off and draw attention to a particular brand. Shops are normally full of many different brands all displayed among each other, but the shop-in-shop allows a brand to be recognised and stand alone from its competitors.
“Who cares?” you ask. Well, we were hoping you do. Did you know that 60% of purchase decisions (whether to buy an item or not) are made in the actual shop so your first impressions of our jewellery matters to us.
The Clogau shop-in-shop uses a combination of flattering lighting, complementary materials and our colours to make sure that you will recognise our brand and our products as soon as you enter a shop. Our selected retail partners can choose from three different display units depending on the available floor space they have. Each unit features the Clogau logo, display merchandise to feature the jewellery and an optional TV displaying the Clogau story and new “Touch” imagery.
Keep an eye out for our shop-in-shop in selected Clogau retailers and let us know what you think. The pictures below give you an example of how a typical Clogau shop-in-shop will look featuring all three of the different units.
It’s here – The 2010 Ryder Cup!
Golf. Love it or hate it, Ryder Cup seems to be two words on just about everyone’s lips this week. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are buzzing with talk of this weekend’s famous golfing competition which is being hosted, for the very first time, here in Wales.
Now, I’m no golf enthusiast but I can’t quite help getting a bit carried away with all the excitement of it. With only 2 days until Montgomerie’s European team and Pavin’s US team (the current cup holders!) battle it out in the most gentlemanly manner on the Twenty Ten course, Newport is making history!
Unsurprisingly, the typical Welsh weather hasn’t let us down with heavy rain so far causing delayed practice sessions and holes under water as well as fog possibly effecting teeing-off schedules! Despite the weather, this year’s competition has brought a whole new image of glamour to the sport. Today, Newport welcomed its first ever ‘floating hotel’ to its Docks, the luxury cruise liner, La Diamant, will provide an alternative accommodation choice to the more flush Ryder Cup visitors with cabins starting at £3,132. Something a little less glamorous, of course, is the team’s choice of attire!
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a bit jealous of the lucky winner of the Clogau Gold Ryder Cup competition, winning themselves a pair of tickets for Saturday 2nd October and a night’s accommodation in Newport. However, a few Clogau employees will get to take part in the atmosphere in the picturesque Usk Valley to represent us at our stand in the Tented Village area of The Celtic Manor Resort hotel, where, as official licensee’s of jewellery and giftware for the event, we will be exhibiting our ‘Work. Lunch. Golf’ collection. If you’re heading down this weekend, come and see us!
The 5 piece Ryder Cup jewellery collection and 7 piece Ryder Cup giftware collection gives golfing enthusiasts the perfect way to commemorate the 2010 Ryder Cup. The collection pieces range from an attractive bracelet, for the fashion conscious spectator, to a ball marker for the style savvy golfer. Like every other Clogau Gold item, each piece contains a touch of Welsh gold, one of rarest gold’s in the world that has, since 1923, been used to create generations of Royal Family wedding rings.
Each item is expertly hand-crafted and stamped with the official Ryder Cup logo, the CG stamp identifying it as a genuine Clogau Gold piece and a Welsh Dragon showing that rare Welsh gold is included. You can also guarantee that no two items are the same – each piece from the ‘Work. Lunch. Golf’ collection is engraved with a limited edition issue number making it a treasured collector’s item.
To browse the ‘Work. Lunch. Golf’ Ryder Cup collection, go here http://www.clogau.co.uk/Collections/Ryder-Cup-Gifts.aspx. And however you choose to watch the competition, in Newport or the comfort of your own living room, remember it with Clogau Gold.
Oh, and, one more thing…go team Europe!!
We’re all very proud here at Clogau headquarters. Last month our Managing Director was named a ‘Business Big Shot’ by one of the most influential voices in the jewellery industry – Professional Jeweller.
It’s more of a big deal than you think! This year is the very first year that Professional Jeweller has decided to compile a ‘Hot 100’ list of ‘the most creative, successful and talented people working in the British jewellery industry today’ as they, so modestly, put it.
To be welcomed into the exclusive group of bright commercial minds that is a ‘Business Big Shot’ you had to fit an exact criteria. Only leaders of brands that have, this year, generated large sales helped along by their expertise in retail, importing, wholesaling, marketing and manufacturing were considered.
Ben was one of only 27 people to be honored with this title among the bosses of Swarovski, Pandora and Links of London. It’s quite an impressive achievement, even if we do say so ourselves.
The jewellery market generates over £2 billion in sales every year so you can see it’s a very competitive place to work in. Ben has ensured his company’s success by being truly passionate about what he does, helped along by his ambitious personality and talent as an entrepreneur allowing him to always be one step ahead.
Professional Jeweller’s idea behind the Hot 100 list was to make it a little bit different from other awards. They have done this by recognising the real people behind a successful brand or a product to give them the credit that they rightly deserve.
Of course, with the name ‘Hot 100’ I bet your wondering what happened to the other 99? Well, they were made up of various other categories, including ‘Trendsetters’ which named the most creative and inspiring as well as the ‘Retail Stars’ who have customised their offerings to tie in with the ever changing trends in the jewellery industry.
Is it just me, or, when watching a particularly scandalous episode of Coronation Street, there’s nothing more annoying than the advert break 15 minutes in to keep me in suspense. Just as things start heating up in the Rovers Return, here comes another insurance company offering me 12 months for the price of 10!
I’ve found that the only productive way of using this time is to nip into the kitchen to make a cup of tea and sneak a few biscuits from the cupboard. But, from the 8th November, no amount of tea or chocolate HobNobs will remove me from my sofa!
If you live in Wales or the surrounding border counties and happen to be watching ITV Wales or S4C between 8th November and 19th December, you may want to keep an eye out for 30 seconds of rare Welsh gold.
Clogau is launching a TV advert which will be shown during some prime time viewing slots.
At this point, I can’t give much away or it wouldn’t be much of a surprise would it?!
What I can tell you is that filming began only last week in Cardiff under the watchful eyes of Clogau’s Ken Jones (Marketing Manager). The theme of the advert is a continuation of our latest ‘Touch’ campaign, focusing on the way Clogau jewellery is used to mark the important moments and milestones in people’s lives.
Here’s the good bit: within each scene of the advert there will be a hidden secret letter. You will need to put these letters together to discover a secret word! Once you know what the secret word is, you can then go to www.clogau.co.uk or your nearest Clogau stockist to enter the competition to win an item of Clogau jewellery.
Just for you Clogau Blog readers, I’ll treat you to a few behind-the-scenes photos taken during the first few days of filming.
Enjoy!
Next week, 18th – 21st October, Clogau Gold will be exhibiting at the Tax Free World Association’s World Exhibition in Cannes, France.
If you happen to be there, come and see us – our stand is located at D35 in the Yellow Village.
Our Head of Global Sales, David Butler, will be at the Clogau stand showing off our beautiful jewellery collections and stunning new marketing campaign.
We’ve come a long way since we exhibited last year. Our product range is now more appealing to an international market while still keeping true to our design roots and Welsh heritage. We still use a touch of rare Welsh gold in every piece of jewellery we make and our Royal link is as important today as ever.
What’s more is that we’re holding a solid gold competition!
Any person who visits our stand during the week is encouraged to leave a business card with us, each person who does is included in a prize draw with the chance to win a specially commissioned necklace with a high-street value of £1,000.
To book an appointment with David at the Clogau stand, you can phone him on +447595733379 or e-mail him at david.butler@clogau.co.uk
Hello Clogau Blog readers,
Can I ask for a few minutes of your time to tell you a little about the half marathon I’m doing next month for charity, and to encourage you to sponsor me for such a worthy cause.
As Managing Director, here at Clogau Gold, my responsibilities involve me spending a large proportion of my life working and being away from home. This has, over time, made me realise that family life is far too important to keep just for holidays.
Clogau has an on-going relationship with local charity, Ty Gobaith (part of Hope House children’s hospices), it offers regular periods of respite care to more than 70 terminally ill children and their families who live in the North Wales area.
Each time I visit Ty Gobaith I appreciate how tremendously fortunate I am to have a happy and healthy family. I have been personally touched by this charity and am motivated to do something in return for the heroes who work at Ty Gobaith and the many children and their families who benefit from the great work that goes on there.
I saw the Conwy Half-Marathon as a perfect way to raise money, and to get personally fit at the same time. Ty Gobaith is my sole inspiration when I fear failure both in the marathon and personally.
If you would like to support this charity, please sponsor me through my JustGiving account, just click on the button below. It’s the most efficient way to donate – I raise more money, while saving time and cutting costs for the charity. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure – they keep your details safe and send your donation directly to Ty Gobaith.
Also, don’t forget Ty Gobaith’s annual Santa Run along Llandudno promenade, sponsored by Clogau Gold. Why not join in this year – there were nearly 700 Santa’s last December, let’s break a new record.
Thank you for your time.
Best Wishes,
Ben Roberts
Managing Director
P.s. Take a look at the work that goes on at Ty Gobaith and, if you feel it’s a cause you would like to support, please sponsor me by clicking on the ‘Sponsor Me’ button above.
http://www.hopehouse.org.uk/en/about-us/ty-gobaith/index.php
http://www.youtube.com/user/ClogauGold#p/u/0/DtaU3swxrOo
Clogau’s Inner Charm collection of silver lockets and dainty charms is, and has been since it was launched, a definite customer favorite.
It seems that you have all embraced the idea of mixing and matching different lockets and charms to create and wear your own individual piece of jewellery.
To make this even easier for you, we’ve created a short YouTube video to show you exactly how it works. Just click the link at the bottom of this blog.
The Inner Charm collection is part of Clogau’s introduction of personalised and collectable jewellery, along with the Milestones bracelets and bead charms and the latest Affinity collection of stacking jewellery.
An ever growing variety of designs available in these collections allow for so many possible combinations to fit your personality, outfit or even occasion.
The idea behind the Inner Charm, as you may know, if that you choose your preferred locket then the charm of your choice. You then open the locket in which you hook the charm inside, and then close it back up to keep it safe. Depending on the style of locket you choose, the charm can then be seen through the window.
The wearer can then personalise their look by choosing from the 12 lockets and 38 charm designs available. The more you own, the wider variety of combinations you have to play with.
If you’re worried about that important meeting at work – hook on your four leaf clover charm.
If you want to keep your Inner Charm secret – use the sphere locket so that only you know what’s kept inside.
On a sunny day in beautiful North Wales, we made this short video for you to fully appreciate the idea behind Clogau’s unique Inner Charm…
http://www.youtube.com/user/ClogauGold#p/u/0/DtaU3swxrOo
Monday morning blues? Not here at Clogau HQ.
Today’s the day our very first advert will be shown on TV – how exciting!
The first (ever!) showing will be on ITV Wales at 7:15pm, during the first break in Emmerdale. If you miss that, the second will be at 9:58pm after ITV’s new drama, Little House.
Here’s the schedule for this week, but bear in mind, it’s only a guide and these times are subject to change;
ITV Wales:
Mon 8th Nov – 19:15, 21:58
Tues 9th Nov – 10:50, 12:45
Wed 10th Nov – 12:45, 13:52, 16:30
Thurs 11th Nov – 09:40, 10:10, 11:23, 12:10, 19:58, 21:30
Fri 12th Nov – 13:52, 15:45, 16:45, 17:30, 21:45
Sat 13th Nov – 16:25
Sun 14th Nov – 11:40, 15:30
S4C:
Mon 8th Nov – 19:29, 22:30, 24:11
Tues 9th Nov – 18:59, 22:04
Wed 10th Nov – 22:45, 23:03
Thurs 11th Nov – 22:15, 23:21
Fri 12th Nov – 15:15, 15:30, 16:20, 17:01, 20:51, 21:25, 21:47, 23:05
Sat 13th Nov – 17:45, 20:15, 21:00
Sun 14th Nov – 10:00, 11:45, 13:30, 17:01, 17:16, 17:50, 19:05, 20:46
There, now you have no excuse to miss our 30 seconds of rare Welsh gold!
If you’re as excited as us and simply cannot wait until tonight, you can view the ad on our website, here: http://www.clogau.co.uk/index.aspx
That’s not all, you can also enter the competition to be in for a chance to win one of three, £1850, Am Byth rings, as featured in Vogue. Aren’t we good to you?
All you have to do is watch the advert, spot the hidden 6-letter Welsh word that all Clogau fans should be familiar with and tell us what you think it was here: http://www.clogau.co.uk/competitions/tv.aspx
Need a little help? In the top right of the competition page, there’s a yellow box, just click on ‘Can’t see the hidden word?’ where you’ll then need to enter your details and we’ll send you an e-mail with a set of clues inside.
Good luck!
Happy Monday Clogau bloggers!
Guess what? Only 40 days until Christmas!!
Just a short update with this week’s schedule for our advert (which is subject to change)…just in case you missed it last week…
Mon 15th Nov – 16:30, 21:15
Tues 16th Nov – 20:30, 21:45
Wed 17th Nov – 13:52
Thurs 18th Nov – 21:59
Fri 19th Nov – 20:58, 21:30
Sat 20th Nov – 19:58, 24:20
S4C:
Mon 15th Nov – 14:28, 19:28, 20:42, 21:27, 22:15, 22:30, 23:22, 23:42, 24:08
Tues 16th Nov – 18:59, 20:17
Wed 17th Nov – 19:15, 20:40, 22:16, 23:03, 23:21
Thurs 18th Nov – 18:17, 19:59, 23:22, 23:50
Fri 19th Nov – 18:23, 21:58, 23:05, 24:07, 24:50
Sat 20th Nov – 18:41
Sun 21st Nov – 14:16, 18:40, 23:21, 23:47
And dont forget to enter the hidden word competition for your chance to win one of three Am Byth rings (as featured in Vogue) worth £1,850 - wouldn’t that make someone’s Christmas extra special this year?
Enter here: http://www.clogau.co.uk/competitions/tv.aspx
Countdown to Christmas…33 days!!
If you’re stuck for gift ideas, Clogau’s Winter 2010 & 2011 brochure is out this week. It’s jam packed with 25 brand new items and 3 new collections – you’ll be spoilt for choice!
View the new items here: http://www.clogau.co.uk/Collections/NewItems.aspx
Our new TV ad is into it’s third week of being aired, have you found the hidden word and entered our competition yet?
You could win an £1,850 Am Byth ring, as featured in Vogue, to unwrap on Christmas morning. Enter here: http://www.clogau.co.uk/competitions/tv.aspx
Finally, here’s this week’s schedule…
ITV Wales:
Mon 22nd Nov – 19:58, 21:15
Tues 23rd Nov – 13:52, 20:45, 23:35
Wed 24th Nov – 13:15, 15:15, 18:45
Thurs 25th Nov – 19:15, 23:33
Fri 26th Nov – 15:45, 23:03
Sat 27th Nov – 10:45
Sun 28th Nov – 11:55, 12:40, 21:59
S4C:
Mon 22nd Nov -19:59, 20:42, 21:17, 21:58
Tues 23rd Nov – 14:51, 18:57, 23:27
Wed 24th Nov – 19:58, 20:40, 21:32
Thurs 25th Nov – 19:59, 21:18, 23:05
Fri 26th Nov – 20:41, 21:16
Sun 28th Nov – 14:51
Happy shopping!
26 days until Christmas!!
This week bring’s the 1st December – the official start to the festive period when we can put up the decorations, eat mince pies and drink mulled wine, ahhhhh…
♫♪ ♫♪♪ ♫ Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la ♫♪ ♫♪♪ ♫
Here’s this week’s Clogau TV ad schedule;
ITV Wales
Mon 29th Nov – 21:30
Tues 30th Nov – 21:59
Wed 1st Dec – 19:15, 19:45
Thurs 2nd Dec – 20:55
Sat 4th Dec – 14:50
Sun 5th Dec – 10:30, 19:45, 21:59
S4C
Mon 29th Nov – 17:00, 18:15, 19:15, 19:58, 20:15, 20:40, 21:45, 23:05
Tues 30th Nov – 16:40, 20:15, 21:10, 21:45
Thurs 2nd Dec – 19:58
Fri 2nd Dec – 18:56, 20:40, 21:15, 21:27
Sat 3rd Dec – 22:50, 23:20
Sun 4th Dec – 19:15
…or watch it, and enter the competition, on our website here: http://www.clogau.co.uk/competitions/tv.aspx
It’s heeeeeere!!
There are some things that we will never grow out of…by ‘we’, what I actually mean is ‘I’…although, I’m sure at least some of you will share my feelings on the matter.
When I woke up yesterday morning, 1st December, there was only one thing on my mind – getting to open the first window of my advent calendar! Only in December is it socially acceptable to be an adult and eat chocolate before breakfast…yum!
Well – here at Clogau, we wanted to share that excitement with our lovely customers, and so the Clogau advent calendar was born!
Just like how your average advent calendar works, we are giving our customers a different festive treat on each day of December, leading up to and including, Christmas day. The main difference being, that with the Clogau calendar – our treats are far from average, how about FREE jewellery worth £360?? You see – not average at all.
Actually, I lied…there is another little difference, you also get to see the upcoming treats so that you can pick and choose which ones to take advantage of, rather than it be a secret until the day.
A few festive treats coming up in the next few days are…a FREE silver & rose gold Loops pendant worth £360 when you spend £500 or more, a FREE £25 voucher when you spend £199 or more and a FREE yellow gold snowflake charm worth £129 when you spend £199 or more.
So feel free to flick through the calendar and see what generous offerings we have for you by clicking on the picture below – you may want to hold your Clogau Christmas order until the day your favourite offer falls on. If you want some Christmas gift inspiration, have a look through our new Winter 2010 & 2011 brochure featuring 25 brand new items (if you want a Clogau brochure mailing to you, enter your details here: http://www.clogau.co.uk/Brochure.aspx)
We’ve also amended our delivery policy and opening times for December so that we can guarantee your order will arrive to you on time for Christmas, take a look: http://www.clogau.co.uk/Dispatch.aspx
19 days until Christmas!
If you were to take advantage of our Clogau advent calendar of promotions today – you could receive a further 10% off our sale items. Or, if you want to save your Clogau Christmas order for another day, see what promotions we have coming up; http://www.clogau.co.uk/carousel/carousel.aspx
If, like me, you’re a last minute Christmas gift shopper and need a little inspiration – take a look through our online Winter 2010 & 2011 brochure, featuring 25 new items, including 3 brand new collections http://www.clogau.co.uk/onlinebrochure/xmas.htm or request a copy to your home address, here: http://www.clogau.co.uk/Brochure.aspx
By now, you should have caught a glimpse of some of our jewellery on TV, in our advert.
If not, here’s this week’s schedule (subject to change)…
ITV Wales
Mon 6th Dec – 11:40, 13:28, 21:59
Tues 7th Dec – 12:10, 12:55, 20:15
Wed 8th Dec – 10:28, 12:45, 17:30
Thurs 9th Dec – 11:55, 15:45
Fri 10th Dec – 11:55, 14:30
Sat 11th Dec – 10:55, 12:15
Sun 12th Dec – 15:55, 16:45
S4C
Mon 6th Dec – 20:23, 23:06, 23:36
Tues 7th Dec – 19:15
Wed 8th Dec – 23:20, 24:01
Thurs 9th Dec – 18:56, 19:59, 20:17, 21:17
Fri 10th Dec – 18:46, 20:15, 21:45
Sat 11th Dec – 23:35
Sun 12th Dec – 22:15
Or, you can watch the ad, and enter the competition on our website, here;
Hurry, because we’re announcing the winners in just 2 weeks time – good luck!
It is a well-known saying that behind every great man, is a great woman.
This was certainly the case when it came to the world-famous evolutionist, Charles Darwin. Darwin’s theory of evolution and the interconnectedness of all living things was so significant that it completely changed the way people thought about life on earth.
Throughout Darwin’s work, he was supported unconditionally by his devoted and loyal wife, Emma Darwin. Whether Charles knew it or not, coincidently, the ancient meaning of the name Emma is entire, whole or complete – just as his theory on evolution, all life on earth being connected as a whole.
Often enough, Darwin’s theory is symbolised as the Tree of Life. This metaphor has been, and still is, the main design inspiration behind many of Clogau’s fine jewellery pieces. The combination of berries, leaves and vines represent new life forms that evolve from the old, creating new and beautiful formations.
In honour of Darwin’s love, Emma, we have created the exceptionally beautiful Emma’s Kiss collection (view collection here) which has been recognised and featured in the December ’10 issue of Vogue magazine.
The two-piece collection features an intricate yellow and rose gold ring, adorned with 18 diamonds, as well as a pair of yellow and rose gold stud earrings.
Take a look for yourself…
Only 12 days until Christmas!
Here at Clogau HQ, we fully understand the chaos that surrounds the practice of last-minute Christmas gift shopping. You’d have thought that we’d learnt our lesson after last year’s fiasco…but no, we didn’t, and here we are again!
Never fear! Seeing as, since September of this year, we have provided you with 76 brand new and beautiful jewellery pieces, we felt that it would be unfair of us not to provide you with every possible opportunity from now until Xmas day to adorn yourself and your loved ones with a piece of Clogau Gold. For this reason, we’ve changed our opening hours and postage terms – you’re welcome!
Our week day office hours for December will remain the same (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm)
We’re now open on Saturdays!
Seeing as the Clogau sales team are all super-organised and have done all of their Xmas shopping, they’ve got a little time to spare so will now be available to take your phone and online orders on the Saturday’s leading up to Christmas. Here are our Saturday opening hours:
Saturday 4th Dec – 9am to 2pm
Saturday 11th Dec – 9am to 2pm
Saturday 18th Dec – 10am to 2pm
That’s not all we’ve done, how about…
Free Royal Mail Special Next Day Delivery™ on all orders valued £49 or more!
From today (Monday 13th December) all orders valued at £49 or more will be dispatched via Royal Mail Special Next Day Delivery™ to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas.
Please see our ‘Despatch, Delivery & Postage’ information page for more details.
Any order to the value of £48.99 or below will be sent, as usual, via Royal Mail Recorded Signed For™ delivery – if you need to guarantee delivery before Christmas then you will need to contact our sales team on 0845 606 88 77 and request Royal Mail Special Next Day Delivery™ at extra cost to yourself.
Just call us on the regular sales number - 0845 606 88 77 or visit www.clogau.co.uk to place your order.
Christmas & New Year opening hours.
Now, since we’re going to be working extra hard to take all of your orders and get them out to you on time for the big day, we’re going to need a little time off ourselves to enjoy the holiday festivities – eat a few mince pies, open a few pressies and drink a few glasses of mulled wine.
So here are our opening hours between Christmas day and the New Year;
Friday 24th Dec – CLOSED
Monday 27th & Tuesday 28th Dec – CLOSED
Wednesday 29th & Thursday 30th Dec – 9am to 5pm
Friday 31st Dec – 9am to 4pm
Monday 3rd Jan – CLOSED
Tuesday 4th Jan – Open as normal
As you can see, normal Clogau service will resume on the morning of Tuesday 4th January, but, what’s that?
Oh no! Your mum/cousin/friend/cat didn’t like their Clogau gift!
That’s not a problem – all due to the fact that we’ve extended our returns policy for the festive period so that any purchases made on or after 1st October 2010 can be returned to us, or exchanged, up until 31st January 2011. Just as long as the item is unworn, undamaged and in its original packaging – this returns policy, unfortunately, does not include earrings for hygiene reasons.
Call it our Christmas gift to you – happy shopping!
It’s nearly here…
With only 2 days to go until the big day, it’s all too easy to get carried away with the excitement of Christmas. The last minute shopping rush, the office party, over-indulging on tasty festive treats….
I think sometimes we forget that Christmas is a time for giving – and I don’t mean just presents.
Clogau has always been actively involved in charitable work. In particular, we have an on-going relationship with Marie Curie Cancer Care and local, North Wales based children’s charity, Ty Gobaith.
The past two months, November & December, have been particularly busy for us and our charity involvement. Let me tell you what we’ve been getting up to, and maybe, it’ll provide you with inspiration to give a little extra this Christmas…
Ben’s Conwy Half-Marathon for Ty Gobaith
Our Managing Director, Ben Roberts, decided to set himself a personal challenge by participating in the Conwy Half-Marathon. To fuel his motivation, he decided to use this as an opportunity to raise money for a charity very close to his heart – Ty Gobaith.
Ben, even though injured, managed to complete the half-marathon in 1 hr and 50 mins while raising a grand total of £1,550. Well done Ben and a big thank you to everyone who sponsored him!
Children in Need Raffle
Friday, 19th November, was 2010′s BBC Children in Need TV appeal. In the run up to the event, we launched the Children in Need raffle where customers were able to purchase a raffle ticket to be in for the chance to win a limited edition Clogau Gold Pudsey pendant – only 250 were made and we put 3 of them up for grabs! £33 from each purchase of a Pudsey pendant was also donated to the charity.
In total, we raised around £1,250 for the BBC Children in Need charity.
Santa Fun Run 2010
Carrying on a Clogau tradition, we again sponsored this year’s annual Santa Fun Run in Llandudno to raise money for Ty Gobaith children’s charity. All Clogau employee’s along with around 700 other participants donned their Santa or Snowmen costumes and ran/walked the 1 mile course along Llandudno promenade.
The day was a huge success and Ty Gobaith estimated that they were expecting to raise around £30,000 on the day! Wow! Thank you to all who participated, spectated and sponsored!
Richard Parks’ 737 Challenge
This December, ex-international Welsh rugby player Richard Parks, and his team set off on their world-first 737 challenge. The challenge involves a gripping 7 month expedition to climb the 7 Summits, which are the highest mountains on each of the world’s continents on each of the 3 poles – The South Pole, The Geographic North Pole and the summit of Everest, all in one calendar year!
Following on from Richard’s career ending shoulder injury, he sought a project to focus on both physically and mentally. Furthermore, he viewed this as an opportunity to raise money for a charity extremely close to his heart – Marie Curie Cancer Care. The challenge and it’s team has set a target to raise £1 million for the charity that has helped Richard’s family and countless others.
Clogau are very proud to be supporting the 737 challenge and are official High Camp sponsors. We will soon be launching our exclusive 737 jewellery collection – of which 20% of sales will be donated to the impressive feat.
Good luck Rich and team – from all at Clogau.
A man much better with his words than myself, John Lennon, once sang…”So this is Christmas, and what have you done?” Well, we at Clogau HQ, can leave the office at 5pm today knowing that we did our bit for 2010. Bring on 2011!
This Wednesday, just been, brought with it the first in the Art @ the Senedd 2011 season. We decided that it would be a nice idea to sponsor the event to show our support for Arts & Business Cymru who we are a member of. They help businesses like us to successfully combine commerce and culture – handy!
Pupils from two South Wales schools put on a short performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and A Mid Summer Night’s Dream as part of the UK’s Shakespeare Schools Festival – the largest youth drama festival in the UK which gives pupils, aged 11-18 years old, the chance to perform Shakespeare plays in professional theatres.
At the event we revealed our exclusive 737 collection for the very first time. The 9 piece collection has been created to support Richard Parks’ 737 Challenge which we are sponsors of, while helping to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The exclusive collection went down a treat and we can’t wait to officially launch it (and show it off!) at The Spring Fair in February.
The event, attended by various Clogau associates including Ben Roberts our Managing Director, was a huge success and the performances given by the pupils were nothing less than impressive! Here are a few photos for you to see….
This 6th- 10th February, we’ll be exhibiting once again at Spring Fair International at the NEC, Birmingham.
Each year, we use the Spring Fair to launch our latest product offerings and in 2011 we have 8 brand new and exciting collections to offer. We’ve given you a sneak-peek of two of them, below…
Awelon – from the Welsh word meaning wind and inspired by the movement it creates.
Damselfly – collection of jewellery pieces highlighting the beauty of the native Damselfly.
Kensington – a yellow and rose gold with diamonds collection inspired by Kensington Palace.
Lyra – motivated by the elegant beauty of stars and constellations in the Welsh night sky.
Royal Roses – an old Clogau classic that has been taken out of retirement and tastefully re-designed.
Lillibet – in celebration of The Queen’s 85th Birthday in April, 2011.
737 – supporting Richard Parks’ 737 Challenge and Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Friendship – Clogau’s take on the traditional friendship bracelet concept.
As well as these, we have around 30 brand new items entering our existing collections, these include additions to the popular Butterfly collection which was introduced in 2010 as well as the more classic Am Byth collection.
2011 is, of course, the year of the Royal wedding between Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton. With Clogau’s Royal association as the supplier of Welsh gold for Royal wedding rings since 1923, we have extended our Windsor collection of traditional wedding rings for bride and groom’s to-be who wish to own their own piece of Royal Clogau gold.
If you are visiting the fair this year then why not pay us a visit and see the collections yourself. We’ll be in hall 17 at stand L18 to M19.
Our Spring & Summer 2011 brochure with all of these new items will be launched in early April – to keep you updated on the latest Clogau news and launches you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to our e-mail newsletter.
Also, keep an eye on our New Products page on our website which we update regularly with the latest Clogau pieces.
Cast your mind back to December of last year and you may remember that we announced – very proudly I must say, that we are an official sponsor of Richard Parks’ 737 Challenge.
What is the 737 Challenge?
Okay, so, the 737 Challenge is a 7 month expedition to climb the 7 Summits, which are the highest mountain on each of the world’s continents, and venture the last degree to The South Pole and Geographic North Pole.
7 summits – 3 poles (The South Pole, The Geographic North Pole and the summit of Everest) – 7 months = 737
“Is he mad?!” I hear you cry.
Surprisingly…no. You may, or may not, know that Richard was once a Welsh international rugby player - following a career-ending shoulder injury in 2009 Richard found himself at an extreme low point in his life which was only worsened by the subsequent death of his beloved Grandmother.
During this desolate time, Richard became inspired by the achievements of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, a famous expeditionary, and was hungry to find a new venture which he could focus his emotional and physical energy on while helping a charity close to his and his family’s hearts – Marie Curie Cancer Care. Hence, the 737 Challenge was born.
What’s Clogau got to do with it?
As all true Clogau fan’s will know, we have a long-standing relationship with both Marie Curie and the Welsh Rugby Union. When we heard about this world first challenge (if Richard is successful – he will become the first person to have stood on the continental summits and all 3 poles in the same calendar year) and the chance to support it, we just couldn’t say no!
So we sat down and said, “Hey, let’s make some jewellery” and so, we did.
Our official unisex 9-piece 737 Challenge collection will be launched at this year’s Spring Fair on 6th-10th February. The collection consists of a bead charm, cufflinks, 2 pendants, 2 rings and 3 friendship bracelets which are all inscribed with the inspirational message “The horizon is only the limit of our sight”.
What’s more, to help Richard on his way to raise £1 million for Marie Curie, 20% of all sales of the collection will be donated to the charity.
Richard has already reached his third out of nine legs of the challenge. Visit the 737 Challenge website for more information on our association and the challenge as well as Richards progress; http://www.737challenge.com/news/3/clogau-gold-join-the-world-first-737-challenge.html
Here are a small sample of photos from the challenge, more can be found on the website above…
Hello from the NEC, Birmingham!
After a hectic 4 days, today is our second-to-last day at this year’s Spring Fair, and so far, it’s been our best exhibition to-date with visitors flocking to The Jewellery Show eager to see what Spring & Summer 2011 has to offer them!
Visitors to the Clogau stand have been wowed with 8 brand new collections to be launched in late March/early April including Awelon, Kensington and Lyra.
And guess what? Everyone loves them just as much as we do!
Catching the eyes of most passers-by have been the new diamond-adorned Am Byth additions. Not to mention our tastefully re-designed Royal Roses collection, probably one of our most high-end, contemporary, collections that we have ever created.
On Sunday, our 737 Challenge collection was officially launched in support of Richard Parks’ challenge which aims to raise £1 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The unisex collection of silver, rose gold and black enamel pieces went down a storm and the orders from our retail partners have been coming in thick and fast.
It’s the last day tomorrow (Thursday 10th Feb) so if you want to see these collections for yourself, you better hurry! Click here for more information on opening times of the show and directions to the NEC.
Friend (noun) - a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
Clogau blog readers, I’m a little excited to introduce to you – our brand new Friendship collection of friendship bracelets…
Our take on the traditional concept of the friendship bracelet offers you a selection of 4 leather, silver, rose gold and enamel bracelets to choose from depending on the colour or personal message of your preference;
Red – Love
Pink – Cariad
White – Forever
Fuchsia – Am Byth
These bracelets make the perfect gift for the most important people in your life – your best friend, mother, sister, daughter or anyone who you just want to say “Thank You” to, and show your appreciation, for being such a good friend.
Choose your favorite friendship bracelet here.
Since our last 737 Challenge blog was posted on 4th February, things have come a long way – we’ve officially revealed our exclusive jewellery collection and Richard has reached leg 4 out of 9 on his journey– Mount Kilimanjaro.
Here’s Richard at the summit of Aconcagua (leg 3 out of 9) on 5th February…
So, a huge “Well done” to Richard and the rest of the 737 team!
Our exclusive collection, created in support of the challenge and Marie Curie Cancer Care, was officially revealed at this month’s Spring Fair 2011. Talk of the collection reveal drew many visitors to the Clogau exhibition stand and we are happy to report that all were equally impressed with what we had to show them!
The official 737 Challenge collection features 9 fine pieces of unisex jewellery created in silver, rose gold and black enamel. Each piece in the collection features the 737 logo (or 737 in Roman numerals) and is inscribed with the proverb ‘The horizon is only the limit of our sight’ – the very same words which inspired Richard to take on this world-first feat.
20% of all sales made from the 737 Challenge collection will be donated to the challenge who aim to raise a massive £1 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care during its 7 month duration.
The jewellery pieces are now available to our dedicated Clogau stockists to pre-order and will be available to our general customers mid-March to early-April.
I can now happily reveal the 737 Challenge collection to you, the Clogau Blog reader…
It’s been over a month since Clogau’s last blog post – and what a month it’s been!
Since the announcement of the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton late last year, our press office has been flooded with calls from people asking us the same million-dollar question…
“Are Will and Kate using Clogau Welsh gold for their wedding rings??”
Despite trying our very best, Clarence house is keeping all of the juicy details of the big day under wraps!
Welsh gold, from the Clogau mine, has been used to create Royal wedding rings since 1923. For this reason, we’re all very excited for Friday, 29th April, to find out whether or not Will and Kate have decided to continue this tradition. 
Our Managing Director, Ben Roberts, has given his personal statement, which you can read here.
In celebration of the Royal wedding, we have launched a number of Royal-themed items for Spring & Summer 2011 including the re-designed Royal Roses and the celebratory Lillibet collections.
London, the home of all things Royal, has also been a key design inspiration, resulting in our new Kensington collection.
In celebration of our Royal association, our Spring & Summer 2011 wedding campaign will feature beautiful photography taken outside Westminster Abbey. We will also be holding numerous promotions in April and have released this exclusive engagement ring replica key-ring.
Our new Spring & Summer 2011 brochure is launching at the beginning of April. As a taster of what’s to come, here’s some behind-the-scenes shots from our bridal shoot…
On Thursday, our Press Office caught wind of a very exciting rumour, and just to make sure that it wasn’t an early (and very cruel) April Fools trick, we made a call to the Royal Palace where a spokesperson confirmed the news that we’d been waiting 5 months to hear…
Click for Clogau wedding rings
…April’s Royal wedding will continue the tradition of using a Welsh gold wedding ring!!!
Did you notice that I said ring, and not rings? Prince William has, controversially, decided not to wear a wedding ring, causing quite a stir amongst the general public and Royal Family.
Personally William, we dont mind.
As you can imagine, we’re all over the moon – especially Ben (Managing Director):
“I’ve had my fingers crossed that, they would continue tradition, since the engagement was announced in November. I was expecting to have to wait until after the wedding to hopefully discover this news so it has come as a very welcome surprise to me. It’s a great association for Clogau to have and I’m immensely proud.”
Click for Clogau wedding jewellery
Read my previous blog for more information on our Royally-themed Spring & Summer 2011 jewellery launches, and stay tuned for more news of our Royal-inspired activity, scheduled for April!
In celebration of the Royal wedding in only 14 days we have launched a collection of commemorative jewellery with a difference.
Just like all of our jewellery, each piece contains a touch of the very same rare Welsh gold as will be used to make Catherine Middleton’s wedding ring, and that of many other Royals since 1923.
In our new Historic Royal Palaces collection you will find 41 royal-themed Milestones bead charms in both silver and gold. The charms are inspired by the Royal wedding and the capital city of British Royalty, London.
The latest addition to the collection is the Clogau Princess engagement ring - our very own rendition of probably the world’s most famous engagement ring, the white gold, blue sapphire and diamond ring, once belonging to the late Princess Diana and now passed on to Kate Middleton.
Unlike some of the more quirky Royal wedding memorabilia on sale at the moment, our pieces will act as a lasting (and very beautiful) reminder of the big day on Friday, 29th April.
All at Clogau Gold would like to congratulate the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!
Here at Clogau HQ, we have long awaited the 29th of April, as it promised the continuation of an 88-year old tradition of using pure Welsh Gold to create Royal wedding rings (or ring, in this case). Catherine’s ring was a very simple yet beautiful band, crafted by the jeweller, Wartski.
The wedding was watched by millions and truly showcased the best of British. The bride-to-be looked beautiful in an Alexander McQueen dress, which confirmed speculation, and walked down the over 3-minute long isle with her father to her groom – HRH Prince William.
Hundreds of thousands of well-wishing spectators laced the streets, all seeking a glimpse of the happy couple as they emerged from Westminster Abbey and made their way to Buckingham Palace for the wedding reception. Some more enthusiastic spectators camped out for days before in order to claim the most coveted spots!
From the press stand, the view of the couple was distant yet the passion and atmosphere present on the day was still unmistakable. The newly-weds delighted the crowds with not one, but two, Royal kisses to seal their marriage.
Last week, Clogau Gold donned their glad-rags and travelled the long and winding road to the 2-year old Ffos Las Racecourse, in Carmarthenshire.
As sponsors of the Best Dressed Lady, we were bowled over by the racecourse’s beautiful settings and excellent facilities which drew in over 4,000 fashion-conscious race goers for the Ladies Night event.
The competition was fierce and we managed to whittle the finalists down to 6 Ladies who were invited to the paddock. The winner was announced, Meryl Thomas, who won herself £500 of Clogau Gold gift vouchers – well done Meryl!
A big “Thank You” to all 6 of the lovely Ladies who participated, to the Ffos Las team for a wonderful day, and to The Jockey for providing the photographs.
Last weekend, Clogau Gold sponsored the Wales v Ireland polo match at the beautiful Glanusk Estate, Powys - the home of Welsh polo.
Saturday 9th July, saw spectators from all over gather to witness the charity match – with special guest Charlotte Church present, in support of the Noah’s Ark Appeal.
The tense match ended in a very amicable 3-3 draw between the reds and greens!
Also sponsored by Clogau Gold was the Best Dressed Lady competition, which was held on the day. The best-dressed lady won herself an equally beautiful silver and rose gold Butterfly locket to compliment her lovely outfit!
Visitors in the V.I.P tent were lavished with Clogau Gold gift bags while they enjoyed the after-party in the evening, a fitting ending to a great day out.
Clogau Gold is looking forward to more future collaborations with the Glanusk Estate and it’s owner Harry Legge-Bourke.
Wales v Ireland
Polo
Charlotte Church
Celebrations
Best Dressed Lady (center)
There is a saying that the early bird catches the worm!
This was most definately the case this morning when the heroic Richard Parks was a guest on the BBC Breakfast programme, indulging us all in stories of his travels over the past 6 months (and 11 days, 7 hours, 53 minutes, to be exact!).
During the interview Richard wore his 737 Challenge friendship bracelet from our dedicated 737 Challenge collection. 20% of every sale from the collection is donated to the challenge which aims to raise £1 million in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.
737 Challenge Bracelet
Richard returned back to Wales on Saturday after climbing the worlds 7 highest peaks, on all 3 poles, in 7 months – a world first! Well done Richard, and the rest of the 737 Challenge team.
To show your support, view the 737 Challenge collection of unisex jewellery, here.
Richard Parks wearing Clogau Gold on BBC Breakfast
Autumn/Winter 2011
It’s here!
After months of preparation, this week brought with it the long-anticipated launch of our Autumn/Winter offering. And may we just say, we think we’ve quite possibly outdone ourselves this time!
Not only have we offered you over 70 brand new (and beautiful) pieces, including 5 completely brand new collections, but we’ve also introduced a new-style brochure and a new-look website.
Key Notes
Oh we do spoil you, Clogau lovers!
The first thing you’ll notice about the brochure is the new size, we made this decision in order to make a brand statement and to better showcase the jewellery. We have created more of a coffee table book, rather than just a product catalogue.
Gone is the slate background with floral detailing to make way for the second most obvious difference, the product images. All of our jewellery has been re-photographed and set on a white background – now you can see every intricate detail!
We understand that some of our customers prefer to try-on jewellery before they buy, so we’ve tried to give you a better idea of how the items look close up.
Other changes include stunning model shots and more detailed jewellery descriptions. You may also notice that our website has changed, take a look for yourself at www.clogau.co.uk.
Customers will be receiving their Autumn/Winter 2011 brochure this week, however, if you’re not already on our mailing list, register here, and be sure to let us know what you think about the new-look by emailing b.roberts@clogau.co.uk.
Enjoy!
Designed to showcase the very best of British style, London toy company, Arklu™, has launched the Royal Wedding Dolls in celebration of the Royal wedding back in April of this year.
Following-on from the Princess Catherine Engagement Doll, the Royal Wedding Dolls were officially launched at fine London toy store, Hamleys, last week and retail at £100 for the pair or £50 for the Princess Catherine Wedding Doll alone. £1 from every purchase will be donated to the RNLI.
“Renowned designers and artists have contributed to the Catherine doll on details including the tiara, engagement ring, shoes, make-up, bridal bouquet and “something blue” knickers.” BBC News UK
One of those renowned designers is us - Clogau Gold! We were pleased to be asked to design the dolls wedding band, in keeping with Catherine’s real wedding band which is made from pure Welsh gold, a tradition upheld by the Royal Family, since 1923.
The simple gold band can be seen on the Catherine dolls ring finger, above the engagement ring. You can purchase the dolls direct from Arklu, here, or from Hamleys, here.
These delightful dolls compliment our own Royally inspired jewellery collections, such as Royal Clogau, Royal Roses and our The Windsor Collection of classic wedding rings.
September has so far brought with it a number of new and (sometimes) exciting things…the beginning of Autumn, back-to-school and the Rugby World Cup to name a few.
For Clogau, and the rest of the jewellery trade, this week was the annual International Jewellery London exhibition, one of the most highly anticipated events on our calendar. At IJL, the best and biggest of the British jewellery industry meet to showcase their beautiful sparkly wares and buyers from all over the world flock to admire them!
Clogau Gold visited the 4-day IJL, at Earls Court, in search of emerging trends and opportunities. Not to mention, we let our hair down and danced the night away at the coveted Hot 100 party, an exclusive invitation-only unveiling of the best 100 retail, design and business talents in the industry (put together by Professional Jeweller).
We are delighted to announce that our very own Ben Roberts, MD, was named a ‘Business Big Shot’ for the second year running! This year, however, he shared the lime light with Brand Manager, Sonia Menezes, a relatively new arrival at Clogau HQ who also earned herself the title - well done Ben & Sonia!
You can read the full biography of our two Big Shots, here: Hot 100 2011, Business Big Shots, Sonia & Ben.
Sonia & Ben
Clogau at Hot 100 party
Our Key Notes collection has been causing quite a stir since it was launched for Autumn/Winter 2011, back in July.
The potential of the pendants were first picked up by the trade press, with Editor of Retail Jeweller, the industry’s leading jewellery and watch magazine, tweeting…
lauramccreddie: “I love these necklaces from @clogau. Great design.”
News travels fast, however, and this month the pendants have featured in GQ, the world’s leading Men’s magazine. The October issue of GQ is the biggest of the year, hosting the annual GQ Men of the Year Awards, and the pendants featured within the ladies luxury gift ideas page aptly titled, ‘Be her Man of the Year’.
So what’s so special about the Key Notes pendants, you may wonder? 
Well, these three pendants (available in silver, yellow gold or rose gold) offer more than first meets the eye as they can be opened up to reveal a hidden space inside where a note is kept. The pendants have been created to offer a piece of personally meaningful jewellery, a piece that tells a unique story between the wearer, and the person who gave it to them.
Some of our favourite suggested notes are;
Happy Birthday
I Love You
Congratulations
Or even… Will You Marry Me?
Who would you give a Key Notes to, and what would it say inside??
View the full Key Notes collection, here.
Attendees to the recent Hot 100 party donned their finest outfits and accessories as they competed in the Clogau Gold Best Dressed competition.
The Professional Jeweller Hot 100 party was held at the annual International Jewellery London exhibition, and is the same party that announced Clogau’s Sonia & Ben as ‘Business Big Shots’ of the jewellery industry (gush!). You can read more about that in our earlier blog post (8th Sept).
Guests offered up their very best poses for the camera on their arrival to the event at One Mayfair. Photos of all participants were posted on Professional Jeweller’s Facebook page for users to vote for, or ‘Like’, their favourite to win.
The week-long competition resulted in an outright winner, Thomas Dyton, whose swashbuckling outfit stole the show! Thomas will be presented with a pair of bespoke Clogau Gold skull and cross-bone cufflinks as his reward.
I’ll leave you with a small selection of the weird and wonderful outfits (you can view all the competitors, here)…
And our winner, Thomas Dyton…
For the second time this month, Ben has been recognised for his hard work and dedication to the company.
Ben received a Highly Commended in the Family Business Director of the Year category at this year’s Institute of Directors, Director of the Year UK Final Awards, last week. Ben took over as MD in 2007, succeeding his Father Bill who is now Chairman of Clogau. Sister, Sam Roberts, also works alongside as Creative Designer to bring you generous helpings of glorious jewellery.
After winning Young Director of the Year – North Wales at the regional awards earlier in the year, Ben qualified for the UK Finals where he was awarded this most recent accolade – well done Ben!
Clogau Gold employees have donned their denim today to raise money for Jeans for Genes Day 2011!
We’ve each donated £2 towards the UK children’s charity that aims to change the world for children with genetic disorders. Although rare, these disorders affect 1 in 25 children born in the UK – that’s more than 30,000 babies each year. Genetic disorders, and their associated health problems are the biggest killer of children aged 14 years and under.
Our money, and all other fundraising contributions, will be used towards care, support and research. For more information about the Jeans for Genes charity, visit here.
Have you spotted us amongst the glossy pages of Vogue and Tatler, yet?
A number of our fabulous pieces are featured in this month’s issues of Vogue and Tatler magazines.
Our sentimental Key Notes pendants made an appearance in Vogue, as a gift suggestion for someone special who craves ‘A Touch of Glam’.
Also, our Am Byth pendant and Royal Roses ring were beautifully showcased in Tatler, as a ‘Finishing Touch’ gift option for those who wish to indulge in some sparkle.
For more gift ideas, browse our entire collection of sumptuous jewellery, here.
As you begin to prepare for Christmas 2011, with the tell-tale sights and sounds of the festive season beginning to show, here at Clogau we’re already preparing for Spring & Summer 2012.
Last week, the talented John Oakley shot our 2012 campaign at the magnificent Tredegar House, Newport. The team arrived at Tredegar House at 8am for a full day shoot which wasn’t short of excitement, dramas and tension!
The shoot celebrates Clogau’s rich Welsh heritage, with a touch of glamour, featuring a glorious golden harp and plenty of beautiful jewellery.
You won’t see the final shots until April 2012 when Spring & Summer is launched, so for now, here are a few behind-the-scenes images to inspire you:
