Penny Parkes and the purple gloves! - Penny positions Martyn Pugh's magnificent silver jug ready for the exhibition[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5447" align="aligncenter" width="410"]

The Birmingham Assay Office is always keen to respond to the changing demands of the market and improve customer service.  This latest advance is the opening of a “Sub-Office” hallmarking facility for Hockley Mint. A Sub-Office is effectively the extension of an Assay Office to other premises, typically within a manufacturers or importers premises. The Sub Office, which is a satellite of the Central Office in Birmingham will be staffed by employees of The Birmingham …

A cultured pearl sells for significantly less than a natural pearl but significantly more than an imitation pearl, so correct identification is very important. The initial visual inspection prompted AnchorCert gemmologists to suspect that the batch contained two types of pearls, most of which were in fact imitation. Freshwater cultured pearls would normally demonstrate variation in size, shape, colour and texture but many of these were of uniform size and appearance.  In order to be abso…