Birmingham Assay Office
The Birmingham Assay Office is a cornerstone of the UK jewellery trade, providing hallmarking, testing, and certification services that ensure the quality and integrity of precious metal goods. For jewellers, manufacturers, and suppliers, staying informed about its developments is essential to maintaining compliance and understanding industry standards. Jewellery Focus offers in-depth coverage on the Birmingham Assay Office, including regulatory updates, innovations in testing and hallmarking, and its role in supporting the jewellery sector’s operational and ethical standards.
-
Oct- 2016 -13 OctoberEconomy
Hallmarking falls 11.5% in September
The total number of hallmarked items fell 11.5% in September, a decrease of 115,994 pieces when compared with the same month last year. The figure – from all four UK assay offices and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office – found the total number of hallmarked items in September stood…
Read More » -
5 OctoberCurrent Affairs
UK jewellers consider legal challenge to BAO over Indian hallmarking
A group of jewellers and silversmiths in the UK are considering a legal challenge to the Birmingham Assay Office over its practice of using UK hallmarking overseas. The news comes after the Birmingham and Sheffield Assay Offices’ marks have been approved by the British Hallmarking Council for use in their…
Read More » -
Sep- 2016 -13 SeptemberEconomy
9ct gold soars 32% in positive August hallmarking figures
The number of 9-carat gold items hallmarked in August soared 32% in a positive month for overall hallmarking figures. That’s according to latest figures released from the four UK assay offices, and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, which found overall hallmarking figures soared 10.4% from 696,251 items last year…
Read More » -
Aug- 2016 -24 AugustCurrent Affairs
UK Jewellers launch parliamentary petition to restrict offshore UK hallmarks
A group of UK silversmiths and jewellers have launched a campaign to restrict the use of distinctive traditional UK hallmarks, including city marks, to items hallmarked in the UK. For over 700 years UK hallmarks have only been struck in the UK, but the campaign said that there is now…
Read More » -
16 AugustEconomy
Hallmarking slumps 11.8% in July
The total number of hallmarked items dropped 11.8% in July, a decrease of 92,333 pieces when compared with the same month last year. New figures from all four of the UK’s assay offices, and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, which found the total number of hallmarked items in July…
Read More » -
May- 2016 -16 MayEconomy
9-carat gold soars 15.8% as overall hallmarking figures fall
The number of 9-carat items hallmarked in April jumped 15.8%, despite an overall decline in hallmarking figures. The latest data from the four UK assay offices – compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office – found there was a total of 790,594 items hallmarked in April, compared with 810,831 in April…
Read More » -
Apr- 2016 -18 AprilEconomy
9-carat rockets 16.4% in upbeat March hallmarking figures
The total number of hallmarked items grew 5.4% in March, boosted by an 8.2% jump in the number of gold articles. That’s according to the latest data from the four UK assay offices – compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office – which found there was a total of 740,976 articles…
Read More » -
Mar- 2016 -15 MarchEconomy
Hallmarking edges up in February as number of gold articles jump
The total number of hallmarked items rose by 0.8% in February, an increase of 5,970 articles compared with February 2015. That’s according to the latest figures released today by the four UK assay offices, and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, which found there was a total of 766,310 articles…
Read More » -
Feb- 2016 -18 FebruaryEconomy
Hallmarking down 9.1% in January
The total number of hallmarked items fell 9.1% in January, a decrease of 67,252 articles when compared with January 2015. That is according to latest figures released today by the four UK assay offices, and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, which found during the month there was a total…
Read More » -
Jan- 2016 -20 JanuaryAppointments
NAJ to propose Simon Johnson as chairman
The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) says its current vice-chairman and co-owner of retail jeweller Marmalade, Simon Johnson, will be proposed as its new chairman at the next annual general meeting. At the association’s first meeting of 2016 – held on 14 January at the Birmingham Assay Office – current NAJ…
Read More »
