UK Assay Offices
UK Assay Offices play a vital role in maintaining trust and integrity within the jewellery industry, ensuring precious metal items meet legal standards through hallmarking. For jewellers, manufacturers, wholesalers and designers, their work is central to compliance and consumer confidence. Jewellery Focus covers developments at the UK’s Assay Offices, including regulatory updates, technological advancements in testing, and changes impacting the trade. Our reporting also explores how these institutions support the industry with guidance, innovation, and services that affect daily operations for professionals across the jewellery supply chain.
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Jun- 2021 -21 JuneNews
The British Hallmarking Council is seeking new members
The British Hallmarking Council is seeking new members! If you are interested in the historic practice of Hallmarking, which protects consumers by the assay (testing) of the precious metal content of an item such as jewellery, then you may be interested to hear that the British Hallmarking Council is looking for…
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Oct- 2020 -23 OctoberTrade Organisations
Poll launched for new Platinum Jubilee marks
The Four UK Assay Offices have published two marks to commemorate the Queen’s platinum jubilee. The offices are now asking NAJ members and their customers their opinion on the two separate designs. The two Platinum Jubilee marks have been created by the British Hallmarking Council (BHC), made up of the…
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Jun- 2020 -23 JuneFeatures
Coronavirus: The jewellery industry’s story
At the time of writing, the UK’s embattled high street has been given a glimmer of hope, after prime minister Boris Johnson announced plans on 25 May to allow non-essential retailers to open by mid-June. The announcement will be welcome news for many jewellers who have struggled over the past…
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May- 2020 -28 MayCoronavirus
Goldsmiths’ Company Charity awards over £700,000 in grants through the Covid-19 fund
The Goldsmiths’ Company and Charity have awarded over £700,000 in grants to people working in the craft, trade and allied industries who face financial hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic, following the launch of the £1m Goldsmiths’ Covid-19 Fund on 22 April. The emergency fund was set up to provide…
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Mar- 2020 -25 MarchCoronavirus
Assay offices close their doors
All four assay offices across the UK have closed their doors amid the coronavirus crisis. The assay offices, in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Sheffield, will now be closed for business for “at least” three weeks. In a statement, the British Hallmarking Council said: “The pandemic has caused many disruptions to…
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Sep- 2019 -6 SeptemberTrade Organisations
NAJ launches new initiative to promote UK jewellery
The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has launched its “long-awaited” campaign to promote jewellery and allied products made in the UK. The scheme entitled ‘Created in the UK’ champions British manufacturing, and is designed for both suppliers and retailers, whether NAJ members or not. Launched at the International Jewellery London…
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Nov- 2018 -29 NovemberFeatures
Company Q&A: International Gemmological Laboratory
What is the back history of the IGL? We opened the office in Jan 2014, but the company actually started back in 1981 in Canada. About eight years ago it also opened in Israel as a diamond exchange, and then we opened here this year. At the beginning of the…
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Jul- 2018 -18 JulyMetal Prices
Hallmarking figures drop 9.3% in June
Hallmarking fell by an average of 9.3% in June 2018 compared with the same period the previous year, according to the latest figures from the four UK assay offices and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. The average volume of all precious metals apart from platinum fell this month, with…
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Jun- 2018 -8 JuneFeatures
What does the offshore hallmark mean for the jewellery industry?
“We were extremely happy when the British Hallmarking Council (BHC) finally, after a great deal of pushing and shoving from all sides, agreed that jewellery pieces hallmarked overseas should have a different mark to the ones we strike domestically,” says John Langford, director of Braybrook and Britten, triumphantly. For many…
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May- 2018 -2 MayCurrent Affairs
Industry figures comment on overseas hallmark outcome
Leading figures in the industry have commented on the outcome of the British Hallmarking Council’s consultation on overseas hallmarking styles. The Council decided in principle that hallmarks struck overseas by UK assay offices should be distinguished by way of a special mark. Discussions are now taking place with assay offices…
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