Assay Office Birmingham News

Bernard retired as Assay Master of the Birmingham Assay Office at Christmas 1998. In a very emotional moment he told everyone at the Assay Office that they held a great place in his heart, "my other family" as he described them, and at a big bash thrown in his honour, he was given a standing ovation worthy of a monarch. Bernard said at the time "Looking back at my life, I must say, I have no regrets. There have been bad times, but I have been very fortunate throughout in my working life a…

Hallmarking legislation has seen many changes since its inception in the 14th century, but the three symbols that remain a statutory requirement for all articles above the exemption weight still tell an important story. The town mark indicates which assay office has tested and hallmarked the item, and the fineness mark guarantees the precious metal content in line with one of the recognised standards. It is a simple code: the shape of the fineness mark dictates the metal and the fineness is …

FAMILY PRIVATE VIEW AT THINKTANK SCIENCE MUSEUM  “WE MADE IT GALLERY” Wardens, Guardians, Directors, Present and Past Staff and family were all recently invited to a Private View of the NEW  “We Made It Gallery” at Thinktank Science Museum, Birmingham. Anu Manchanda in Treasure Section of the We Made It Gallery at Thinktank Science Museum Birmingham[/caption] ‘Treasure’ focuses on precious possessions made from gemstones and precious metals and, with ou…

Michael Allchin, Chief Executive & Assay Master, gave a presentation entitled ‘OPPORTUNITY & OPTIMISM’  which helped put last years trading into perspective for the industry and looked at future trends. The new Reach & ROHS 2 Regulations were also discussed in depth which helped flag up other issues that could affect the UK jewellery and fashion accessories sectors. [caption id="attachment_4702" align="aligncenter" width="431"] Michael Revealed w…