Latest News & Press

It was with great sadness that the Sheffield Assay Office heard of the recent passing of Stan Shaw, one of Sheffield’s best and most experienced knife makers.

From 1st January 2021, obligations to recognise equivalent EU hallmarks ended in Great Britain. For the Northern Ireland market EU hallmarks will continue to be recognised.

Join Emma Paragreen, Curator here at the Sheffield Assay Office – where precious metals have been tested and hallmarked since 1773 – to discover the work of historical and contemporary women silversmiths.

The Cutlers’ Company is launching an annual design competition to create a set of contemporary cutlery, consisting of a knife, a fork and a spoon. This new competition is planned to run for the next 95 years and is open to students and new graduates (up to 3 years after graduation).

Former Senior Trading Standards Officer, retired member of the British Hallmarking Council and active Guardian at Sheffield Assay Office, Mr Robert Grice, has written this detailed article to help warn of the perils of the Fur Coat / Gold scam currently taking place in Germany.

On Tuesday 12th January, Assay Master Ashley Carson was delighted to speak, virtually, as part of the Sheffield Hallam University Prize Winners Ceremony for students from the Department of Art and Design.

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, and is the system for controlling chemicals in the EU. Following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and the subsequent transition period, what does this mean for these regulations?

As a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council, the Sheffield Assay Office recognises that they have a responsibility to the environment beyond legal and regulatory requirements. Read on to find out how they plan to reduce their energy usage by converting to LED lighting.