Gold Mines of Wales Limited (a subsidiary of Alba Mineral Resources plc) has announced that it has engaged Vivien Johnston Glass FRSA as its specialist “mine-to-market” supply chain consultant for jewellery and refined gold products.
This appointment is in line with the company’s plans to advance its commercialisation strategy in readiness for future gold processing and production at its Clogau-St. David’s Gold Mine in Wales.
Clogau high-grade gold specimen (cropped)
At its height, at least 80,000 ounces (around 2.5 tons) of gold was recovered from the Clogau-St. David’s Gold Mine, making it the UK’s largest ever gold producer. The mine closed in 1998, when the gold price crashed to only $300 per ounce. Today, gold is trading at over $1,700 per ounce.
The gold in the Clogau-St. David Gold Mine was previously found in exceptionally high-grade pockets, with what is described as ‘bonanza grades’, which ran to hundreds if not thousands of ounces of gold per tonne.
The extensive exploration campaign, which has been undertaken by Gold Mines of Wales at the Mine, has uncovered new, large-scale gold targets with the potential to host significant and previously unexploited gold veins. The company is currently gearing up to access the highest priority gold target in the coming months, which it hopes will lead to the first underground development and significant production at the Mine in many decades.
Vivien Johnston Glass has over 20 years’ experience in the jewellery industry. She gained an honours degree in Silversmithing and Jewellery from the prestigious Glasgow School of Art and is former Head of Design for a commercial jewellery design brand. With an extensive and influential network, Vivien is an expert in the responsible sourcing of precious metals, diamonds, and gems. She has first-hand experience of the ethical luxury consumer market having founded her own brand in 2006 to pilot a sustainable business model promoting positive ethics in mining and jewellery using materials exclusively from traceable and ethical sources. Since then, she has consulted for a range of clients including major luxury jewellery houses, independent brands, diamond producers, junior mining companies, manufacturers, and international brand agencies.
Vivien was the Chair of the Jewellery Ethics Committee UK and Ireland between 2011-2015 and Ethics Manager for the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (2013-16). She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and in 2021 launched her own boutique consultancy, Johnston Resources. She gained substantial relevant experience as a consultant to Scotgold Resources (2011-2022) during which time she supported the company through from a successful planning application outcome all the way to its commercial production phase and building a route-to-market for gravity gold for the fine jewellery market.
Vivien’s role with Gold Mines of Wales will be wide-ranging, encompassing the fostering of partnerships and offtake discussions with jewellery brands, manufacturers, and designers; managing stakeholder relationships, including harnessing the already considerable support for the Mine within the local community; and supporting the Mine’s planning process towards permission for full-scale commercial production at Clogau St. David’s. A key aspect of her role will be to devise and pilot a provenance-proofed, traceable “mine-to-market” supply chain for gold produced from Clogau St.David’s, which will underpin the company’s ability to command a premium price for its products.
