Heaven sent
“She asked why wedding rings are made of gold;
I ventured this to instruct her;
Why, madam, love and lightning are the same,
On earth they glance, from Heaven they came.
Love is the soul’s electric flame,
And gold its best conductor.”
- Robert Burns
In the eighteenth century, Scotland’s most famous poet would not have known that the gold of which he wrote also came from the skies. This precious metal is formed not by an earth-bound geological process, but by the collision or explosion of distant stars four billion years ago. The resulting asteroids fell to Earth, forcing gold into our planet’s mantel and crust.
The history of Scottish gold
Scottish gold is prized for its rarity, lustre and beauty. The Museum of Scotland displays Iron Age gold torcs, medieval coins and precious jewellery. However there are just a handful of Scottish gold artefacts, one of which is a piece by Hamilton & Inches.
Much of Scotland’s gold was found in the form of nuggets in streams and rivers, and indeed people still pan for gold. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, mining took place in Lanarkshire’s Crawford Muir, now known as Leadhills, during the reign of James IV. In nearby Wanlockhead, a Dutchman found enough gold to make a basin, which was piled high with coins to flaunt Scotland’s wealth during a visit by French royalty.
During the rule of King James VI, miners delivered gold to the Royal Mint to be turned into coins. Scotland experienced gold rushes in Fife and Sutherland in the 19th century, but both were short-lived and not of the scale of the American and Canadian gold rushes.
In the 21st century, gold mining has been revived on the edge of Rannoch, north of Loch Lomond, which lies deep within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. The name of the Cononish mine comes from the Gaelic of ‘where the waters meet,’ as it overlooks a river. It is close to the village of Tyndrum, built over the battlefield where Clan MacDougall defeated Robert the Bruce in 1306 AD.
We have the honour of working with this ethically sourced Scottish gold, derived from the single mine’s only vein of gold. Mining this gold is a complex challenge, and it is only released in limited amounts.
Beauty and strength
Jewellery made of pure Scottish gold sounds poetic, however much of its magic would be lost if it were used in its 24 carat mined state. Gold of such purity is too soft and malleable to be worn, and it would quickly become marked and damaged.
For millennia, goldsmiths have added other metals to lend their strength to gold. Metal is alloyed down to the required carat weight required by adding ‘a recipe’ of metals such as copper, zinc and silver.
A classified ingredient
Forming gold which can be crafted into jewellery offers a unique opportunity to guarantee the purity of Scottish gold. During refining, a secret trace element is independently added during the process. Neither the mine or Hamilton & Inches know its identity. This allows the Edinburgh Assay Office to test for the trace element, confirming the gold used is indeed Scottish gold.
Traditional authenticity
Marking objects to indicate their quality has taken place since at least 400AD. The word ‘hallmark’ originates in the 18th century when Goldsmith’s Hall in London tested and stamped articles with such a mark. This practice of authentication then spread across Britain, and then the world.
Over the centuries, regulations have changed, with the weight of the jewellery also influencing what is recorded. Hallmarks are added with either a stamp or a laser, to eliminate the chance of distorting delicate jewellery. One of the hallmarks denotes the assay office where the jewellery is tested and hallmarked. Edinburgh’s Assay Office is represented by a castle. You can find out more in our Hallmarking article.
The mark of a God
A piece made from Scottish gold will have a Scottish Gold mark. As befits our country’s heritage, this is a stag’s head. In Celtic mythology, the stag was often associated Cernunnos, god of the forest and the hunt. The stag is still an important symbol in Scotland today.
So as not to detract from the overall design, this gold mark appears in a discreet position next to the hallmarks, such as on the back of pendant.
Crafted in the heart of Edinburgh
The rarity of Scottish gold requires separate benches, tools and screens to prevent cross-contamination. Great pains are taken to ensure that no other sources of gold are mixed with Scottish gold, guaranteeing the provenance of the material.
“Working with Scottish gold brings a whole new level of accuracy to my making processes. I have to be certain I’m not cross contaminating, so from my workspace to my tools, everything has to be separate and more disciplined. This can be challenging, but it’s such a wonderful material to work with.”
- Hamilton & Inches Jeweller, Jenna Webster
A unique heirloom from Scottish soil
We offer engagement rings in a range of metals, including Scottish gold for that extra touch of heritage and history.
Our Scottish Gold Fleur-de-Lys diffusion line gives a contemporary twist to the heraldic portrayal of the lily, which is present on the Royal Arms of Scotland.
The collection includes pendants and earrings with a distinctive golden lustre, with some designs incorporating a hand-selected diamond for extra brilliance and fire. Why not explore the collection for yourself?