Assay office presents 250th commemorative piece
The Birmingham Assay Office has celebrated its 250th anniversary by commissioning a commemorative piece to mark their enduring commitment to adapt, evolve, and thrive in an ever-changing business landscape.
The Assay Office has commissioned local Silversmith, L J Millington a Jewellery Quarter based family-owned business, established in 1968 to make the piece.
L J Millington employs highly skilled craftsmen who between them have over 200 years of experience in the Silversmithing Trade.
The unique piece, constructed in Sterling Silver, will form part of the historical Silver Collection at the Assay Office, collectively representing 250 years of history.
The piece has been designed to reflect the 250th Logo, created by Caitlin Beale, a student at Birmingham City University. Caitlin's design celebrates the story of how Birmingham came to have the Anchor as its town mark while recognizing the strong historical connection between the Assay Office and the Sheffield Assay Office, whose original town mark was a crown, also founded in 1773.
The creativity of this logo has been designed and skilfully crafted by L J Millington into a stunning Candelabra.
CEO, Doug Henry said: “2023 has been a very important milestone in the history of Birmingham Assay Office as we celebrated 250 years, cementing our place in Birmingham’s great jewellery heritage.
“We were keen to ensure that we captured this momentous year by creating a commemorative piece which will form part of our history.
“The collaboration with Davran Jewellery, R.F. Bevan, SkyDiamond and led by L. J. Millington demonstrates perfectly how different sectors of our industry can work together to design and create a stunning piece rooted in Birmingham’s silversmithing history and employing current technology.
“The result is a modern twist on the candelabra based on our 250th logo, simple, elegant and beautifully crafted, something we are all very proud of.”
