Black diamonds are no longer the reserve of mourning jewellery, and have found their niche in modern tastes. To make sure they’re genuine, senior gemmologist ANU MANCHANDA explains what she is looking for when examining these stones. Fashion trends come and go but classic monochrome is always in vogue. This is certainly the case at the moment for gemset jewellery, where alongside white metal and glittering white stones, black diamonds and other shiny black stones have increased in popula…

Available on both iPhone and iPad as well as Android devices, the APP 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.   APP STORE ITUNES QR CODE   https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/help-with-hallmarks/id581759099?mt=8 Just Go to iTunes or Google Play store to download - type in Help With Hallmarks -  or c…

  Front Entrance The Birmingham Assay OfficeThe building was purpose built for The Assay Office in 1877 and has been gradually extended to accommodate the growth in the business. One of Birmingham’s oldest institutions, The Assay Office was founded in 1773 to carry out its statutory duty of hallmarking precious metals.  In the past fifteen years successful diversification into other sectors such as consumer product safety testing for fashion jewellery and accessories, as well as…

  This year there are 71 lights – 25 more than last year – which are a mix of refurbished and new, bespoke designs. There are Christmas trees, stars and baubles across the Quarter, new jewellery-themed designs in the main retail area and an anchor light proudly shines outside of The Assay Office on Newhall Street.