The Birmingham Assay Office hit International Jewellery London in purposeful mood this year with innovative new products from all divisions. The AnchorCert Gemstone Weight Estimator and SafeGuard Interactive Training generated huge interest and jewellers have obviously recognised the Diamond Jubilee Hallmark as a potential opportunity for incremental business in 2012. Over 9,000 people visited the shop and the Assay Office tram welcomed many new faces to the stand as well as catching up with long standing customers and colleagues.

?For the fifth consecutive year the seminar programme featured The Great Debate - a joint initiative from Reed Exhibitions and The Birmingham Assay Office. This event aims to promote awareness of social and ethical issues for the jewellery supply chain and to consider ways in which they can be addressed. This year's debate demonstrated some of the genuine progress that has been made in the past five years. Michael Allchin, Chief Executive of The Birmingham Assay Office welcomed guest speakers Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO to introduce the new CIBJO centre of excellence in Antwerp and Catherine Sproule, Chief Operating Officer of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) who gave a positive update on the progress of the RJC. Stephen Webster premiered a film chronicling his visit to the artisanal mines of Peru and the improvements which their involvement with Fairtrade are delivering. Stephen's impassioned introduction left no doubt as to his commitment to making a difference to the lives of these mining communities and the film vividly illustrated these issues. Commenting afterwards Michael Allchin said: "We all recognise there is still a very long way to go but encouraging progress is being made. Our objective in staging The Great Debate has always been to provoke thought and prompt action and we feel that we have once again achieved that goal" Stephen Webster's film 'When All is Gold' can be viewed at: www.theassayoffice.co.uk/news ??

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