To highlight the city of Birmingham's innovation....The Birmingham Assay Office is delighted to announce the arrival of its latest innovative App – Help With Hallmarks.  Available on both iPhone and iPad as well as Android devices, it enables users to quickly research and identify the date letter on precious metal, jewellery and silverware. The App includes date letters from the eleven key assay offices in the UK, going back as far as 1544. Just Go to iTunes or Google Play…

Chief Executive of The Birmingham Assay Office Michael Allchin said, “Diamond certification is contentious. International Gemmological Certification is dominated by a few reputable giants. Smaller players with varying levels of skill, resource and integrity continue to proliferate worldwide. The Birmingham Assay Office developed the AnchorCert Gemmological Laboratory in 2001 because it passionately believes that the UK needs a properly equipped, well resourced gemmological facility. …

L-R: Kate Hartigan with Stella Layton[/caption] It was Kate Hartigan’s first AGM as Chairman of the Wardens and Stella Layton’s first since the announcement that she will be the next Chief Executive and Assay Master, when Michael Allchin retires in early 2014. Stella has been a Guardian of the Office for several years and her new appointment was very well received by her peers attending the AGM .  Michael delivered his usual informative and entertaining view of the year, and …