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Happy Christmas


and Best Wishes for the New Year from everyone at The Birmingham Assay Office
Christmas Deadlines and Opening Times

The Birmingham Assay Office want to ensure we give you the service you require in this crucial trading period. All divisions of The Assay Office, ie: Hallmarking, The Laboratory, AnchorCert Diamond Certification and SafeGuard Jewellery Valuations will therefore be working until 1.00pm on Wednesday 24th December 2008.

The Birmingham Assay Office will reopen after the Christmas break on Friday 2nd January 2009.

Please find below Deadlines for submitting work that is required back before Christmas. If you envisage these causing you any problems please contact the department concerned and we will do our best to help.

assay office - hallmarking
  • The Hallmarking division will be open until 1.00pm on Wednesday 24th December and will re-open on Friday 2nd January 2009.
  • Hallmarking parcels received over the Trade Counter before 10.00am on Monday 22nd December will be processed and ready for customer collection by Wednesday 24th December up until 1.00pm.
  • Hallmarking parcels received by post or Securicor up to Friday 19th December will be processed and despatched by Tuesday 23rd December.

  • Last dates for the Special 24 Hour EXPRESS Service are:
    • Postal Parcels received on 22nd December – will be despatched on Tuesday 23rd December.
    • Trade Counter parcels received by 9.30am on Tuesday 23rd December will be ready by 9.30a.m. Wednesday 24th December.



The Laboratory at The Birmingham Assay office
The Laboratory will be open until 1.00pm on Wednesday 24th December and will reopen on Friday 2nd January 2009.
To receive results before Christmas i.e. Monday 22nd December, samples MUST be submitted by the following deadlines:

TEST DEADLINE
Nickel Testing 10.00am
Nickel Release to BSEN 1811 Wed 10th Dec
Quick Nickel Test, including complex alloys Mon 15th Dec
Full Metal Analysis (ICP Scan) Mon 15th Dec
Powder Samples containing PGM's Tue 16th Dec
Precious Metal Testing 9.00am
Metallic samples containing PGM's Wed 17th Dec
Metallic samples - gold and silver analysis by Cupellation or Potentiometric Titration Thur 18th Dec
Lead Testing 9.00am
EN71/3 Mon 15th Dec
Lead Content Tue 16th Dec

Samples for Nickel release testing to BS EN 1811 that are received after 10.00am on 10th December and before 10.00am will be reported by Monday 5th January 2009. For deadlines for any other tests please check www.thelaboratory.co.uk or contact Tim Smith on 0121 262 1036.
safeguard - Independent Jewellery Valuation Service
  • SafeGuard will be open until 1.00pm on Wednesday 24th December and will reopen on Friday 2nd January 2009.
  • The last date for sending in items to be valued and for the Valuation documents to be despatched before Christmas is Friday 19th December.
  • For more details please call: 0871 423 7922.

anchorcert - Independent Diamond Certification Service
  • AnchorCert will be open until 1.00pm on Wednesday 24th December and will reopen on Friday 2nd January 2009.
  • Diamonds and gemstones received by AnchorCert by Thursday 18th December will be completed by Tuesday 23rd December.
  • The last date for the AnchorCert Next Day Service will be Monday 22nd December for postal items and Tuesday 23rd for items to be collected.
  • The latest deadline for the AnchorCert Same Day Service will be 9.30am on Tuesday 23rd December for postal items and for items to be collected.
  • The usual additional charges will apply for both Next Day and Same Day services.
  • For more details please call: 0871 423 7922.

Matthew Boulton 2009

2009 marks the Bicentenary of Matthew Boulton’s death.
The Birmingham Assay Office is supporting the City of Birmingham’s programme of events to
commemorate this anniversary and the life of our founder, Birmingham’s most famous entrepreneur.




It's a Spring Affair - and We've got Something New!
Spring Fair 09 - click to visit website

We look forward to seeing you at Spring Fair: 1-5th February, the NEC, Birmingham.
We will be exhibiting in Hall 17 Stand A19

O Star of Wonder, Star of Night
Assay Office Company Logos

The Birmingham Assay Office
PO Box 151, Newhall Street, Birmingham B3 1SB
Tel: 0121 236 6951 Fax: 0121 236 9487
Email: info@theassayoffice.co.uk
www.theassayoffice.co.uk