Heritage on Display

Adrian Kibbler

Birmingham’s Assay Office’s historic silver collection was showcased to journalists when they were invited to a special Media Day as part of the run-up to the Assay Office’s 250th-anniversary celebrations.

Birmingham Press Club director Adrian Kibbler (pictured) demonstrated his creative skills to the utmost – winning a special hallmarking competition.

Former Birmingham Mail business editor Jon Griffin, who now contributes to Chamberlink, the magazine of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: 'It was fascinating to get an insight into the story of the Assay Office, said to be Birmingham's second oldest company. It's quite literally a jewel in the city's crown - the diamonds we saw were extraordinary- and is a testament to Birmingham's proud industrial heritage."

The Birmingham Assay Office was founded in 1773 to provide assaying (testing) and hallmarking of precious metal items, as required by the Hallmarking Act, and has been a centre of expert opinion and independent assessment of jewellery and precious metals ever since.

Its silver collection features spectacular items created by some of Birmingham’s most celebrated silversmiths including Matthew Boulton, Nathaniel Mills and Elkington & Co. Indeed, it was Boulton who lobbied Parliament vigorously, on behalf of the city’s silversmiths, for the establishment of an assay office in Birmingham.

On the first day of its opening – 31 August 1773 - the assay office hallmarked 200 items, the first customer being Boulton himself. Today, operating from headquarters fronting Icknield Street, which were purpose built in 2015 at a cost of £10 million to include office space, laboratories and conference facilities, the assay office is one of the busiest of its kind in the world. Since 2000 it has hallmarked 100 million articles.

Prior to its move to Icknield Street, the assay office had been located for 135 years in Newhall Street.

 Birmingham Press Club Honorary Life Member Kay Alexander, a former presenter of BBC’s Midlands Today, was appointed the institution’s first woman chairman in 2006, serving until 2012. Its current chairman is Russell Jeans, founder, and CEO of Sefton & Associates, a recruitment and management consultancy business, who previously served as commercial director and chief operating officer of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

• Members of the public can also get to inspect the assay office’s historic silver collection if they attend one of a series of special Afternoon Teas which are being held throughout 2023 for their 250th anniversary

• ·During 2023 the Birmingham Assay Office will be opening its doors to the public for various events throughout the year. To register your interest and be the first to hear, contact Katherine Wilkinson. E-mail: Katherine.wilkinson@theassayoffice.co.uk