Birmingham
Birmingham has a rich heritage as a centre for jewellery manufacturing and trade, with its historic Jewellery Quarter still home to hundreds of workshops and businesses. For UK jewellers, wholesalers, and suppliers, the city remains a vital hub for production, design, and distribution. Jewellery Focus covers Birmingham’s role in the industry, from updates on local businesses and manufacturing trends to insights into policy developments and events shaping the trade. Our reporting helps professionals understand the city’s continuing influence on the UK jewellery sector.
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Jun- 2015 -26 JuneCurrent Affairs
‘Human hair’ used for jewellery by design student
A student has taken ‘upcycling’ to a whole new level, designing a jewellery collection made from unwanted human hair. Designed and made by Olivia Hawley, a final year student at Birmingham City University’s (BCU) School of Jewellery, the collection aims to “challenge society’s perception of jewellery and to play on…
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23 JuneEvents
Argos to stock range from first-year BCU student
A first-year Birmingham City University (BCU) student, Danielle Laurent, has been selected by Argos to produce an exclusive jewellery collection. Laurent, aged 39 and originally from California, beat competition from 50 other students at the Birmingham School of Jewellery, to design a collection for the catalogue retailer. The award, which…
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12 JuneProduct Launches
Birmingham Assay Office launches historical Assay Archives online
The Birmingham Assay Office has launched its Assay Archives online, showcasing its historical silver, coin and library collections to the wider public. After receiving a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund – which enabled the assay office to transfer paper records of its museum collection online – the public can…
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11 JuneEconomy
Hallmarking up 3.1% in May
The total number of hallmarked articles in May grew by 3.1% compared with the same time last year, according to new figures released from all four of the UK’s assay offices. According to the data, which was compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, there was a total of 770,075 articles…
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10 JuneDesigners
Weston Beamor launches ‘Staffordshire Hoard’ collection
Birmingham casting house and CAD specialist Weston Beamor has released a collection of jewellery based on ‘The Staffordshire Hoard’. The Hoard is a collection of over 4,000 Anglo-Saxon treasure objects in gold and silver which was found in a field near Lichfield, Staffordshire, in 2009. The pieces are now jointly…
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5 JuneAdvice
Hallmarking: What You Need To Know
Some jewellers have been in the news recently for falling foul of the Hallmarking Act – and they have faced legal repercussions as a result. We spoke to Trading Standards in Birmingham to find out exactly what jewellers’ obligations are to make sure they do not breach the rules. If…
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May- 2015 -13 MayTrade Organisations
NAG and BJA to host unification meetings
The National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG) and the British Jewellers Association (BJA) have announced they will host two members’ meetings to discuss the planned unification of the two organisations. The trade bodies have written to their members inviting them to attend a members day where both will be making presentations to…
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13 MayEconomy
Hallmarking figures up 10% in April
The total number of hallmarked articles grew 10% in April following a disappointing March, according to new figures released from all four of the UK’s assay offices. According to the data, which was compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office , there was a total of 810,831 articles hallmarked in April…
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Apr- 2015 -2 AprilCrime
Birmingham jewellers fined over unhallmarked gold
A Birmingham jewellery firm has been ordered to pay a total of £8,288 after it was found to be selling unhallmarked gold. Yousaf Jewellers, based in Coventry Road, Small Heath in Birmingham, was fined £500 for each offence (£6,500), ordered to pay costs of £1,738 and a £50 victim surcharge…
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1 AprilTrade Organisations
Marked feature bricks laid in new BAO premises
The new premises currently being constructed for the Birmingham Assay Office this weekend saw the addition of several ‘feature bricks’, bearing key hallmarking symbols used during the office’s 240 years in operation. The marks include the traditional hallmarking symbols; a lion for sterling silver, crown for gold, orb for platinum and Pallas…
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