Edinburgh's Assay Office strikes gold with industry award

The Edinburgh Assay Office (EAO) has been recognised for its 24-carat work adapting to the digital age after creating a service to help e-tailers amid growing online jewellery sales.

Edinburgh Assay Offices assay master and chief executive, Scott Walter. Picture: Scott Louden

The organisation, which claims to be Scotland’s oldest trading company and has been testing and hallmarking precious metals in the Scottish capital since 1457, said it won an Innovation award for its “hallmarking and fulfilment” service at the 2016 UK Jewellery Awards.

The service lets e-tailers ship bulk or single orders to the Assay Office, with individual orders then retail packaged and dispatched to end consumers throughout Europe, eliminating the cost of stock-holding premises and/or a registered UK office.

Assay master and chief executive Scott Walter said: “EAO has led the way in the digital revolution of the jewellery industry, introducing the world’s first digital trust mark scheme, Assay Assured, three years ago.

“The continued development of our 21st century services, the latest of which is hallmarking and fulfilment, will ensure that our primary commitment to the consumer can keep pace with the emerging face of jewellery retail.”

EAO cited one award judge saying the service is “forward-thinking for the good of the trade as whole”.