Assay Office Birmingham won the Employer of the Year award at the UK Jewellery Awards 2016, which took place last night at London’s Hilton Park Lane Hotel.    One judge said: “Its performance development plans and quarterly reviews are impressive, while its uptake of Holts Academy apprentices shows a commitment to nurturing new talent.”     On winning the award, Stella Layton, chief executive and assay master at Assay Office Birmingham, said: “I a…

New lead changes are guaranteed to get the lead out of your paints… and everything else. We all remember the significant reductions of Lead in consumer products, whether that was the change to lead in paints or the removal of the additive in fuel. So, it may surprise the general public if they were aware of the many and varied applications of lead, across their fashion jewellery, clothes and homeware products. Lead continues to be used in consumer product manufacture for its abili…

Michael Rawlinson, Chief Executive of the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) discusses how the jewellery industry could benefit from a 'Made in Britain' mark.