Assay Office Birmingham has compiled the latest UK Hallmarking figures for the month of October 2014. The total number of articles hallmarked across the four UK Assay Offices in October was 8.3% up on the same month in 2013, an increase of 95,112 items hallmarked overall. No surprises that 9ct gold was the strongest performing category again with an increase of 92,878 pieces hallmarked against the same month last year, an increase of 24.3%. 18ct gold also showed a strong increase wit…

The establishment of Assay Office Birmingham in 1773 was the result of a successful campaign led by Birmingham silversmith and entrepreneur Matthew Boulton. In 2009, to mark Boulton's bicentenary and to celebrate his life, work and legacy, Assay Office Birmingham commissioned a magnificent candelabrum. A number of designers were invited to submit ideas for the Commemorative Piece and Shona's Candelabrum was selected for it's design merit and because it met the criteria of the brief most cl…

Martin Rapaport has released a comprehensive editorial entitled “Honest Grading” that discloses the systematic over-grading of over one hundred thousand diamonds, valued at more than a billion dollars. Rapaport calls upon the legitimate jewellery trade to reject those selling over-graded diamonds that fool consumers into believing they are getting better diamonds than they are receiving. Read Martin Rapaport's review below. WWW.ANCHORCERT.CO.UK

ASSAY OFFICE BIRMINGHAM ARE OFFERING YOU THE CHANCE TO WIN TWO GREAT JEWELLERY WORKSHOP ITEMS! In order to win the prizes, all you need to do is tell us the answers to the following questions…….. HOW TO ENTER To enter this competition, please send in your answer plus your full name, e-mail address and contact number to gem@theassayoffice.co.uk by midnight on Thursday. The winner will be announced on Friday afternoon. For a chance to win an extra prize, why not li…