Hallmarking
Hallmarking is a cornerstone of the UK jewellery trade, ensuring the authenticity and quality of precious metal items through independent verification. For jewellers, manufacturers, and suppliers, staying up to date with hallmarking legislation, standards, and practices is essential to maintaining compliance and consumer trust. Jewellery Focus provides expert coverage on hallmarking, including updates from the UK’s assay offices, regulatory changes, innovations in testing, and insights into the role hallmarking plays in supporting the trade.
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Jun- 2017 -30 JuneDesigners
Upcoming jewellers recognised at New Designers Awards
Budding designers were given recognition at the first part of the New Designers Awards on 28 June. At a ceremony presented by British ceramicist Keith Brymer Jones awarded industry newcomers with their accolades. Silversmith Andrew Fleming, from the Glasgow School of Art, was given the New Designers Goldsmiths’ Company Silversmithing…
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22 JuneCurrent Affairs
Gold hallmarking continues to drop as silver remains strong
The number of gold articles hallmarked in the month of May reported a 14.1% drop when compared to last year’s figures. Figures from the Birmingham Assay Office suggest that silver showed a growing strength with a 24.1% increase in hallmarked articles when compared to the same period last year. Platinum…
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May- 2017 -25 MayAppointments
Noel Hunter OBE appointed chairman of British Hallmarking Council
Noel Hunter OBE has been appointed as the new chairman for the British Hallmarking Council. Hunter said: “I am delighted to be elected to lead this prestigious and important body. Hallmarking verifies the integrity of some of the most precious items we possess, both on a personal and a monetary…
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17 MayAppointments
Woman named boss of Goldsmiths’ Company for the first time in its 700-year history
For the first time in 700 years, one of the most respected City institutions is appointing a woman to its top job. Today marks the installation of trailblazing Londoner, Judith Cobham-Lowe OBE, as the first woman Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company. The Goldsmiths’ Company, which received its first Royal Charter…
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16 MayEconomy
Hallmarking down 13% compared to last year
Hallmarking figures for the month of April has shown a 13.2% decrease when compared to the same period last year. Figures from the Birmingham Assay office showed there was a decrease among all metals apart from silver, which saw an increase of 19.2%. There were 62,636 more silver pieces hallmarked…
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Apr- 2017 -16 AprilEconomy
Hallmarking down from 2016
Hallmarking has shown a year-on-year decrease for the first quarter of 2017. Figures released by the four UK assay offices, and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, showed that there was a total of 1,921,716 articles hallmarked in the first quarter of 2017, an 11.9% drop from 2016. Comparing the…
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13 AprilEconomy
Gold sales increase by a fifth at UK Royal Mint
The UK Royal Mint’s gold sales have jumped by 20% in the first three months of the year, according to information obtained by Bloomberg. The email sent to Bloomberg said that after month-on-month declines in the first two months of 2017, March gold sales had jumped by 263% in volume…
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Mar- 2017 -14 MarchEconomy
Hallmarking figures plummet in February
The total number of hallmarked items plummeted 24.8% in February, a decrease of 189,700 pieces when compared with the same month last year. Figures released by the four UK assay offices, and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, showed there was a total of 576,610 articles hallmarked during the month…
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Feb- 2017 -21 FebruaryEconomy
Gold drags down January hallmarking figures
Gold hallmarking has continued to fall at the start of 2017, dragging down overall hallmarking figures for the month of January. Figures released by the four UK assay offices, and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, found there was a total of 266,613 gold articles hallmarked during the month –…
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Jan- 2017 -25 JanuaryCurrent Affairs
First glimpse of Grand National trophy after hallmarking
The first glimpse of this year’s Grand National trophy has been released after the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office hallmarked it earlier this week. The announcement follows the news that, for the first time in the Grand National’s history, a new trophy will be designed every year during the horse race’s…
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