Assay Office Birmingham - not just here for you for Christmas - Send us your hallmarking all year round -   While gold is making a comeback, the most precious of the white metals, platinum, is still a firm bridal favourite, with hallmarking volumes holding steady, as Marion Wilson, sales and marketing director, Assay Office Birmingham(BAO) explains here: Platinum’s performance was undoubtedly assisted by the fashion trend for white metal, and the continued marketing ac…

It can be found throughout the world but most commonly in Australia and most opals are of very little value. But the best opals can command prices per carat that rival the most expensive diamonds, rubies and emeralds. In addition cut and carat weight are also important. • Cut - the cut will depend on an opals colour, pattern and clarity. Cutters will fashion the gem in a way that maximizes colour or saves weight. • Carat weight - Opals can vary in size and carat weight. Opal h…

Cadmium Cadmium has long been recognised as a toxin and a known carcinogen, harmful when it is ingested or inhaled.  As a result of its harmful qualities, The EU extended the restrictions on Cadmium in the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Directive in December 2011.  The regulation restricts cadmium content in jewellery to 0.01% (100 mg/kg) by weight of metal and this applies to “metal beads and other metal jewellery components,…

Birmingham’s past and present as a world leader in design and engineering has been celebrated in a service dedicating a memorial to industrial revolution pioneer Matthew Boulton  - founder of Assay Office Birmingham - at Westminster Abbey. Matthew Boulton was born in Birmingham in September 1728, the son of a buckle and button maker. In 1760 he began building the Soho Manufactory in Handsworth. Jewellery, silverware and coins from his workshops were exported across the world. He…