Birmingham Assay Office “privileged” to be part of brooch collaboration

The Assay Office assayed each of the precious metals, including rare Scottish, Welsh, Irish and English gold, carefully applying the hallmarks to the final piece – which was far from a simple task.

Finding a suitable place to put the marks on 26-year-old Ivonna Poplanska’s winning design was a tough job. Laser marking technology was used in the process, which allowed the hallmarks to be precisely positioned without compromising the craftsmanship.

Chief executive of the Birmingham Assay Office, Michael Allchin, said: “The brooch represents the best of our industry: superb traditional craftsmanship combined with innovative technology, imagination and flair – and most of all a generous spirit of co-operation that has created a wonderful piece of which we can all be proud.”

Brooch designer Poplanska, a student at the Goldsmiths’ Centre in Clerkenwell, London, loosely based ‘The Eternal Dove’ design on the ‘Sceptre with Dove’ – an item in the Crown Jewels that was made for the Coronation of King Charles II in 1661.

The dove, which is in flight, encompasses four flowers – the shamrock, the daffodil, the thistle and the rose – chosen to represent the countries of the United Kingdom. Natural coloured diamonds were used to highlight the flowers, and entwined holly leaves also feature in the design symbolising unity, while the dove stands for peace.

BJA chief executive Simon Rainer also praised his organisation’s members for their raw material donations and for lending their skills to the project, created in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter with Weston Beamor providing the production technology – the company that recently teamed up with Ant and Dec to help raise money for Cash for Kids. 

“The production utilised the very latest technologies and married them with traditional, hand skills from Ian Hall at Lasting Impressions. The finished piece is a tremendous testament to the high levels of craftsmanship that exist amongst members of the British Jewellers’ Association,” said the BJA boss.

BJA marketing and PR manager Lindsey Straughton added: “Jewellery has always been associated with royalty and we felt it fitting that the BJA, which this year celebrates the 125th anniversary of its founding, should celebrate this special year by creating this exquisite, commemorative brooch, which will hopefully carve its own niche in history.”