Assay Office
Assay offices are central to the UK jewellery trade, ensuring the integrity of precious metal goods through hallmarking and quality assurance. For jewellers, manufacturers, and suppliers, staying informed about the activities and developments of the UK’s assay offices—Birmingham, London, Sheffield, and Edinburgh—is vital. Jewellery Focus provides comprehensive coverage on hallmarking standards, regulatory updates, innovations in testing and certification, and the broader role assay offices play in supporting the trade.
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Dec- 2025 -9 DecemberDesigners
Alexandria launches debut men’s high-end collection
Alexandria, a new London-based men’s high jewellery brand, has launched with a collection of 18k gold rings influenced by historic leaders including Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan. The company, founded by Ryan Bernell, aims to offer what it describes as a more distinctly masculine approach to fine…
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9 DecemberTrade Organisations
Hockley Mint’s Gary Wroe receives 2025 NAJ Chair’s Award
The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has named Gary Wroe, managing director of Hockley Mint, as the winner of the 2025 NAJ Chair’s Award. The award recognises his long-standing contribution to the UK jewellery industry, and was presented at the Benevolent Society Christmas Ball at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham…
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Nov- 2025 -26 NovemberAppointments
Sheffield Assay Office names new head of commercial operations
Sheffield Assay Office has appointed Sara Hale as its new head of commercial operations, joining the organisation on 1 December to lead its commercial strategy across hallmarking and analytical services. Hale brings more than 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical sector, where she has held senior roles focused on commercial…
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Oct- 2025 -8 OctoberManufacturers
Council criticised over Birmingham Jewellery Quarter workshops sale
Birmingham City Council is facing criticism after placing a row of historic workshops on Vyse Street in the Jewellery Quarter up for sale without prior consultation with tenants, local businesses, or trade groups. The move comes less than two weeks after the Quarter was awarded World Craft City status, the…
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Sep- 2025 -3 SeptemberProduct Launches
Edinburgh Assay Office launches ‘Hallmarking 2.0’ digital pilot
The Edinburgh Assay Office (EAO) has launched Hallmarking 2.0, a proof-of-concept project to bring hallmarking into the digital era by linking it with blockchain technology and Digital Product Passports. The new scheme creates a unique physical and digital identifier at the point of hallmarking, allowing each item to be tied…
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Jul- 2025 -29 JulyRetailers
Antique Jewellers launches free hallmark identification tool
UK-based antique ring specialist Antique Jewellers has launched Hallmark Finder, a new online tool that helps identify British jewellery hallmarks. The free-to-use Hallmark Finder allows collectors, dealers, valuers and jewellery professionals to quickly decode the small symbols stamped on antique and vintage pieces. It identifies metal purity, assay office and…
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21 JulyDesigners
WJ Shaw Jewellers to launch Yorkshire Rose collection on Yorkshire Day
Independent family business WJ Shaw Jewellers will unveil its first official jewellery collection on 1 August to coincide with Yorkshire Day. The Yorkshire Rose collection is based on one of the earliest designs created by founders William and Julia Shaw, who began their jewellery-making business in Barnsley in 1988. The…
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Jun- 2025 -4 JuneTrade Organisations
Birmingham awarded World Craft City status
Birmingham has officially been recognised as a World Craft City, making it one of just eight in Europe to receive the designation from the World Crafts Council. Led by the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT) and co-applicants Birmingham City University, a bid for World Craft City status was supported by…
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May- 2025 -27 MayAppointments
The Goldsmiths’ Company appoints new prime warden
The Goldsmiths’ Company has announced the appointment of brigadier Ed Butler CBE DSO as its new prime warden, in succession to Richard Reid. His priorities for the year ahead include further diversifying the Goldsmiths’ Company community, demonstrating social impact – from its charitable grant giving of £4m each year to…
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Jan- 2025 -20 JanuaryDesigners
Allied Gold Group unveils in-house Assay Office
Allied Gold Group has marked the opening of its in-house assay office during an official ribbon cutting ceremony by Ashley Carson, Assay Master and CEO of the Sheffield Assay Office. The occasion was also attended by members of the British Hallmarking Council. The first hallmark struck at the new facility…
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