Birmingham Assay Office

The Birmingham Assay Office is one of the four remaining Assay Offices in the UK, and is the largest in the world.

The development of a silver industry in 18th century Birmingham was hampered by the legal requirement that items of solid silver be assayed, as the nearest Assay Offices were in Chester and London. Having gained the support of local gentry, in 1772, Matthew Boulton began campaigning for an Assay Office in Birmingham. By December of that year, Boulton was pleased to receive a letter from the Clerk of the Sheffield Cutlers’ Company telling him that news of his campaign had reached the manufacturers of Sheffield who were also keen to have a local Assay Office. The joint petitions of Birmingham and Sheffield were presented by Boulton in Parliament in February 1773, and in spite of determined opposition by the London silversmiths, an Act of Parliament allowing Birmingham and Sheffield the right to assay silver was passed on 28^th May 1773.

The Birmingham Assay Office opened on August 31^st 1773 in the Kings Head Inn on New Street. It initially operated from just three rooms with four staff and was only open on Tuesdays! The first customer on the opening day was Matthew Boulton and his partner, John Fothergill.

 
The mark of The Birmingham Assay Office is the Anchor; a curious symbol for a town which has little or no nautical associations! The origin of this mark lie with the public house called the Crown and Anchor Tavern on the Strand in London where meetings prior to the establishment of The Birmingham Assay Office took place. It is widely believed that the choice of symbol was made on the toss of a coin which resulted in Birmingham getting the Anchor as its mark, and Sheffield getting the crown (later the rose in hallmarks on gold).

 
The Birmingham Assay Office moved from the Kings Head in 1815 to its own offices at Little Cannon Street, and to its current home in Newhall Street in 1877.

 
The Birmingham Assay Office continues to develop new services for the jewellery industry, all bearing their well established mark of independence, integrity and expertise:

The Laboratory is now one of the UK’s leading test houses for Precious Metal Analysis and Nickel Compliance.  Thousands of watches and pieces of jewellery, both precious and costume, are tested here every year to make sure they comply with the European regulations for nickel release.

The Laboratory also carries out precious metal analysis for all sectors involved in manufacturing and selling precious metals on a daily basis.

SafeGuard Valuations are the leading brand of independent jewellery valuations in the UK with a network of over 1,000 retailers offering the service.  Most of this appraisal work is carried out within the Assay Office.

AnchorCert Diamond Certification has developed into a major new brand in the jewellery trade.  Thousands of diamonds are graded and certificated every year, once again offering the consumer the reassurance that they know exactly what they are buying. 

In the 21st Century, The Birmingham Assay Office offers expert opinion on every aspect of the precious metal, jewellery and gemstone trade.