New - FREE winter promotion
ANCHORCERT INDEPENDENT DIAMOND CERTIFICATION SERVICE IS HERE TO HELP YOU THIS
CHRISTMAS AT WHAT IS BOTH AN EXCITING AND EXCEPTIONALLY CRUCIAL TIME OF YEAR.
Diamond Certification is a great sales aid, particularly in today’s market where reassurance and
confidence are of increasing importance to consumers and can make all the difference when
clinching vital sales.. ...more >

New - Education & Training - New Diamond Training Dates for 2011
Following the success of its recent diamonds and coloured gemstone training courses AnchorCert Independent Diamond Certification Service has fixed two more dates for 2011. ...more >

NEW - NEW from AnchorCert - Diamond AND Gemstone Laser Inscription Service...more > 

new - What Every Wag Wants - BIRMINGHAM PUTS ITS BEST FOOT FORWARD...more >

NEW - IJL - Be Part of it. Click here to register...more >

NEW - HALLMARKING SEMINAR - A GUIDE TO HALLMARKING...more >

NEW - ANCHORCERT SEES A FLOOD OF GLASS FILLED RUBIES
AnchorCert gemmologists have seen a large number of glass filled rubies in recent weeks, many of which have been bought in good faith as being natural and untreated...more > 

NEW - PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND CAUSES A STIR
A pear shaped diamond weighing over 12 carats caused some excitement in the AnchorCert Independent Diamond and Gemstone Laboratory recently...more >

NEW - Arts Council England is Supporting the Birmingham Launch Event of British Silver Week
The Birmingham Assay Office is pleased to announce that it has recently been successful in gaining support from the Arts Council England and has been awarded funding from the National Lottery to assist with the Birmingham Launch Event of British Silver Week which takes place from 7th – 27th June...more >

NEW - SUMMER SILVER EXHIBITION – BIRMINGHAM LAUNCH - ‘From Songsmith to Silversmith” A Fusion Of Midlands Arts and Creativity - MONDAY 7th JUNE – 5.30 – 8.30pm
The Birmingham Assay Office is delighted to support the official launch of the British Silver Week selling exhibition on Monday 7th June. The venue for this exciting spectacle of Midlands silversmithing skill is St Pauls Gallery, located a short walk from The Birmingham Assay Office and the largest commercial art gallery in the UK outside London...more >

NEW - Analytical Chemist x 2 Inorganic and Organic - Laboratory Assistant/Administrator x 2 - click here for more details »

NEW - UKAS ACCREDITATION FOR ANCHORCERT INDEPENDENT DIAMOND CERTIFICATION SERVICE NOW INCLUDES COLOURED DIAMONDS
AnchorCert  Independent Diamond Certification Service is pleased to announce that the scope of its UKAS Accreditation to ISO17025 now extends to include coloured diamonds....more »

BRILLIANTLY BIRMINGHAM SILVER VISIT
A Unique Opportunity For The General Public To Visit The Birmingham Assay Office And View Its Private Silver Collection Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Book Your Place Today ...more >

A call to the jewellery industry to support the launch of fairtrade gold
I am writing to invite you to take part in a secure online survey entitled ‘fairtrade and fairmined gold market survey’. This survey has been commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation in London aimed at gaining a greater level of understanding into the UK jewellery industry and beyond...more >

Palladium hits the mark
Palladium has been officially acknowledged as the latest precious metal trend for the fine jewellery industry with the advent of a hallmark to guarantee its fineness. From today, 22nd July 2009, the four UK Assay Offices can mark Palladium articles with a legally recognised Hallmark, applied under an amendment to the Hallmarking Act 1973.....more »

NEW FOR 2009 - ASK ABOUT OUR COURSES FOR RETAIL JEWELLERS »

THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE PARTICIPATES IN THE 100TH ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
Birmingham is ready to welcome more than 20,000 people from over 151 different countries to the City...more >

CELEBRATE THE LIFE, WORK AND LEGACY OF THE FOUNDER OF THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE - MATTHEW BOULTON - THE MOST INFLUENTIAL INDUSTRIALIST OF THE 18TH CENTURY AND ONE OF BIRMINGHAM'S FINEST MEN...more >

MATTHEW BOULTON DAY IN CHAMBERLAIN SQUARE, BIRMINGHAM - WITH THE STAFF OF THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE - more >

ANCHORCERT CERTIFICATES STRENGHTEN SUCCESSFUL SALE OF BELLE EPOQUE PENDANT
A beautiful Belle Epoque pearl and diamond pendant, circa 1905 sold at a recent Bonhams Fine Jewellery Sale for £57,600....click for more >

AnchorCert – The Diamond Guide
AnchorCert has produced a comprehensive “Diamond Guide and Gemstone Index” as a useful reference for jewellers...more>

Cobalt Coated Tanzanites beginning to appear in volume
AnchorCert gemmologists assess many Tanzanites, grading them according to the AnchorCert Tanzanite system which offers simple consumer friendly classifications for clarity and intensity of colour...more >

New Diamond Report Service Launched
Spring Fair at the NEC Birmingham, 1-5 February, sees the launch of a new service from AnchorCert, the A5 Diamond and Gemstone short report...more>

iT’S A SPRING AFFAIR AND WE’VE GOT SOMETHING NEW……..
THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE AT SPRING FAIR , NEC 1-5 February 2009 
THE JEWELLERY SHOW – HALL 17 STAND A19 More NEW Innovative Services from The Birmingham Assay Office...more >

E Tickets available for Free Spring Fair 09 entry.
Click here to register online to receive your free entry ticket.

CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES - AND A MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE......more >

INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY LONDON. THE GREAT DEBATE
The Birmingham Assay Office continues to be concerned about ethical, humanitarian and social issues associated with the Jewellery trade and is keen that these be confronted and the challenges met in a transparent way....more >

OVER 80 HARVEY & THOMPSON STORES NOW USE ANCHORCERT INDEPENDENT DIAMOND CERTIFICATION SERVICE - added 29.04.08
Leading Pawnbrokers  Harvey & Thompson, are extending their use of AnchorCert Independent Diamond Certification services......more> 

ANCHORCERT INDEPENDENT DIAMOND CERTIFICATION “MINI REPORT” MORE POPLUAR THAN EVER - added 29.04.08
The AnchorCert Mini report is now well established and the advantages of having an assessment on a mounted stone are being recognised by more sectors of the industry.....more> 

FLUORESCENCE AND CUT GRADE NOW AVAILABLE ON ANCHORCERT MINI REPORT. A GREAT YEAR FOR ANCHORCERT INDEPENDENT DIAMOND AND GEMSTONE CERTIFICATION SERVICE - added 09.01.08 ....more> 

BE MY VALENTINE - added 09.01.08
Valentine’s Day is on the way again and AnchorCert is ready to add that extra hint of romance.
An AnchorCert certificated diamond carries that extra bit of authority and reassurance and shows it’s the
real thing. ....more> 

ANCHORCERT LAUNCHES ITS OWN TANZANITE GRADING SYSTEM
The popularity of Tanzanite is growing steadily. AnchorCert customers have been asking for a simple but authoritative grading standard to help the consumer understand the variation in quality and price of this rare and precious stone......more >>

SECRET MESSAGES FROM ANCHORCERT
Giving somebody a diamond is always very Special.....more >>

UKAS ACCREDITATION FOR ANCHORCERT INDEPENDENT DIAMOND CERTIFICATION SERVICE:

AnchorCert has become the first diamond laboratory to receive formal accreditation to ISO 17025 from UKAS for both loose and mounted diamonds....more >>

CONFLICT DIAMONDS - THE FACTS

Environmental and Humanitarian Issues are of increasing concern to the consumer.  Many are now seekingreassurance that the goods they are buying have been produced in a responsible manner and that the people involved in the supply chain have not suffered in any way....more >>

Anchorcert in Demand:
Sales over 50% up in last Quarter

AnchorCert Diamond Certification has enjoyed its most successful Christmas ever with sales over 50% up on last year during the last three months of 2006.
 
Additional staff had to be recruited to maintain the five-day turn round time and ensure that every customer received the high standard of service they deserved. The growth of the business is the result of a number of factors, particularly the growing authority and higher profile of the AnchorCert brand. Retailers are also under pressure from the ever-increasing need to offer the consumer something extra and verify that they are offering good value for money.
 
The continual increase in internet sales is also a major driver. As Marion Wilson, Marketing Director explains “Independent research undertaken by The Birmingham Assay Office showed that the reputation of the jeweller was the most important factor in establishing customer confidence. This was closely followed by an independent certificate. Without the personal interaction and physical reassurance offered by a well-established ‘bricks and mortar’ business, internet sellers rely on independent certificates to add credibility to their products. Those customers who check out products and prices on the internet before going to shop in the High Street then expect to find the same kind of “guarantee” elsewhere. The amount of regular repeat business which AnchorCert is seeing confirms that Independent Diamond Certification is definitely adding value and helping sales at every level of the market and through every sector whether it be High Street, Internet or TV shopping.”
 
Using AnchorCert has other advantages too. Fiercely proud of its independence and integrity AnchorCert graders will only grade the stones as they find them. Some new customers to the service have been surprised to find that the stones they are submitting do not match up to the grades they requested from their supplier and have been charged for. Laser drilling and fractures filling is regularly exposed in parcels which are meant to be untreated. Just as hallmarking controls the level of under-carating in precious metals so the knowledge that diamonds are to be sent for independent certification will control the quality of stones supplied in in the long term.

New Anchorcert Advertising Available:

AnchorCert diamond certification is currently enjoying a highly successful period with a growing number of retailers using and promoting the service.

This success is due in part to its growing reputation based on the expertise of the AnchorCert team and the high level of investment in sophisticated equipment used to provide a service of unmatched quality. There has also been increased investment in marketing materials used to promote the service and to support retailers who sell the service. The latest example of this is this striking new advertisement which takes “Rock Solid Reassurance” as its theme and will be published in a wide range of both trade and consumer journals over the course of the coming year.  For more information Tel: 0121 262 1010 or email: gem@theassayoffice.co.uk

The new AnchorCert full certificate has had a very positive response from the jewellery and gemstone trade since its launch at Spring Fair. Small, neat, smart and customer friendly the report includes full information about the diamond and plotted facet diagrams. As with all AnchorCert services, every diamond is subjected to a screening process to identify synthetic and HPHT treated diamonds to ensure that the stone is natural and all reports are completed within five working days.

For modern round brilliants the Full AnchorCert report also includes a cut grade and a schematic diagram showing measurements and proportions.  Why grade the Cut?  The cut grade for modern round brilliant diamonds was introduced by GIA in January and offers another Important classification in the assessment of stones.  Grades range from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Poor’ and the  classification indicates the overall cut quality. It is a relevant measure in determining quality because, like colour and clarity, the cut has a major impact on how visually pleasing the diamond is.  Cut and proportion are directly linked to the appearance of a diamond and are an indication of how well light is returned to an observer’s eye. In order to establish the Cut grade the proportions of a diamond are analysed. Total depth, table size, crown angle, pavilion angle, star facet length, lower girdle facet length, girdle thickness and culet size are all measured and assessed.  Other related factors are also taken into account:

• Brightness 
• Fire (Technically known as dispersion, this is the degree to which white light is broken into rainbow flashes and colours)
• Scintillation (sparkle)
• Weight Ratio (very shallow or thick and heavy cuts affect proportion)
• Durability (eg, an extremely thin girdle is more prone to damage thus affecting durability.)
• Polish and Symmetry

The AnchorCert team are very upbeat about the new full report. General Manager for AnchorCert and SafeGuard, Carla Goodfellow, says “We are all really pleased with the look of the new report and we have had some great feedback from our customers. They like the smaller format and retailers are finding it much easier to sell to their customers because the presentation of the information is very clear and straightforward and therefore easy to understand.”

New Reporting Policy for Set Stones In addition to the new report, the AnchorCert Mini report remains very popular, particularly for set stones. Many multi stone items are assessed in AnchorCert’s Birmingham and London offices and in response to feedback from customers the way that these grades are reported has recently been revised. Clarity grades on all mounted jewellery whether single stones or multi-stone diamond jewellery, will now be reported as VVS, VS, SI, I1, I2, or I3 as appropriate (AnchorCert will not assess a mounted stone as FL or IF). Previously a multi stone mini report would have shown the minimum clarity and colour, ie the lowest of each grade. Now the full range of grades are reported so for example a ring with three diamonds, which if looked at loose would be graded as say G SI2 H SI2 and H VS2 will have an AnchorCert Mini

Report stating Colour G – H and Clarity VS – SI. This new reporting procedure gives a clear representation of the quality of diamonds which the piece contains and has been very well received. For further information please contact us on: Tel: 0121 262 1007 Email@:gem@theassayoffice.co.uk.

New Cut Grade – Grading Now Available From AnchorCert

In January 2006, the new GIA ‘Cut Grade’ was introduced.  It is an assessment of the overall cut quality of modern round brilliant diamonds and is represented on a scale from Excellent down to Poor.  Cut and proportion are directly linked to the appearance of a diamond and are an indication of how well light is returned to an observer’s eye.

A diamond with a pleasing appearance is indicative that it is cut to good proportions.

The GIA ‘Cut Grade’ software analyses the proportions of a diamond.  Total depth, table size, crown angle, pavilion angle, star facet length, lower girdle facet length, girdle thickness and culet size are all measured and assessed.  In addition, other related factors are taken into account to determine the ‘Cut Grade’.  These include.

• Brightness
• Fire (Technically known as dispersion, this is the degree to which white light is broken into rainbow flashes and colours)
• Scintillation (sparkle)
• Weight Ratio (very shallow or thick and heavy cuts affect proportion)
• Durability (eg, an extremely thin girdle is more prone to damage thus affecting durability.)
• Polish and Symmetry 

The GIA ‘Cut Grade’ is a representative assessment of the overall proportions, cut and appearance of a diamond, its fire, brightness and scintillation, and the quality of polish, symmetry, shape, size and alignment of its facets.

Rock Solid Reassurance

New point of sale material for AnchorCert retailers.

AnchorCert® has been part of the Birmingham Assay Office since 2000 and provides a unique UK-based Diamond and Gemstone Certification, Grading and Testing service.

AnchorCert aims to provide both diamond and gemstone traders and consumers with fast, fair, efficient and totally unbiased appraisals of the diamonds and gemstone they are buying and/or selling.

The AnchorCert diamond grading laboratory is the only facility of its kind in the UK. It is staffed by a highly qualified team of Gemmologists and Diamond Graders and is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment ranging from 10x diamond magnification lenses to the sophisticated Raman spectrometer.

It is also the only facility in the UK equipped to ensure that diamonds are natural.   AnchorCert’s unique facilities can detect synthetic diamonds and can identify HPHT-treated diamonds and diamonds with other enhancements such as laser drilling, fracture filling and colour treatments.

The service provides the option of two types of report. The Full Diamond Report includes the new GIA “Cut Grade” and a complete set of facet diagrams and is the right choice for higher value diamonds.  The minicertificate is ideal for smaller, loose stones and set diamonds.  An optional service available from AnchorCert is the laser inscription of the certificate number on the diamond.

Since its inception six years ago, AnchorCert has grown steadily.  Now, with its expertise proven, the Birmingham Assay Office is launching a new marketing campaign targeted at enhancing the number of trade clients as well as increase the knowledge and understanding of diamond certification amongst consumers.