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We’ve teamed up with Klarna to provide flexible payment options, allowing you to shop the way you want. With Klarna, you can split your payment into 3 instalments or choose to pay later, making your shopping experience smoother and more convenient. Your order total must be between £100 and £499 to qualify.
February 22, 2024 | by Admin
It is law within the UK that every item of precious metal sold such as Platinum, Gold, Silver is stamped labelling the item with the type of metal it is. Platinum pieces which weigh less than 0.5 grams, 18ct Gold and Palladium pieces weighing less than 1.0 gram and Silver pieces weighing less than 7.78 grams are except from hallmark.
At Diamonds Factory all our products are hallmarked as per UK hallmarking law from London Assay Office (The GoldSmith Company)
The Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office is the oldest assay office in the United Kingdom. It has provided hallmarking services since The Goldsmiths' Company was founded in the 1300s. The company received its royal charter in 1327 and ranks 5th in order of precedence of the 12 Great Livery Companies of the City of London.
Hallmarking dates back to the 1300s when Edward I of England passed a law requiring any item made of silver, which was offered for sale, to be at least of equal quality as that of the coin of the realm (silver currency). The wardens of The Goldsmiths' Company were tasked with visiting workshops in the City of London to assay (test) silver articles. If these articles were found to be below standard they were originally destroyed and the metal forfeited to the King. If they passed, each article received the King's mark of authentication - the mark of a leopard's head. By 1478, there were several hundred workshops and merchants manufacturing silver articles in the City of London. It was not possible for the wardens to visit them all so the merchants were ordered to bring their items to Goldsmiths' Hall for testing and marking and a permanent Assay Office was established in the building. This is the origin of the term hallmark - struck with the King's mark at Goldsmiths' Hall.
In 1544 the Goldsmith's Company adopted the King's mark as their town mark and the mark of the leopard's head is now internationally recognised as the mark of this assay office.
The Goldsmiths's Company Assay Office is still based at Goldsmiths's Hall and remains the oldest company in Britain to be continually trading from the same site. However, it also has two satellite offices; at Greville Street in Hatton Garden in the heart of the London jewellery quarter and within a high security complex near London's Heathrow airport. It now has a new off-site facility within the Dalston-based jewellery manufacturer, Allied Gold. This is the first time in the Assay Office's 700 year history that it has opened permanent hallmarking services on a customer's premises.
In addition to hallmarking, the office has now expanded its range of services to support the jewellery trade and enforcement authorities. It offers a variety of specialist analytical services including nickel, lead & cadmium testing, antique silver dating, non-destructive compositional analysis, plating thickness measurement and a melt and assay service for scrap precious metal carried out in their fully independent on-site laboratory. Other services offered are a jewellery valuation service, laser marking, trading standards assistance, high quality photography and a comprehensive range of training and educational seminars, lectures and specialist events.
It’s true, Pinterest Predicts 2024 have forecast a surge in retro weddings, in particular 70s-inspired weddings in 2024. The trend comeback we’ve all been waiting for, the 1970s are back in town and ready to steal the show with sparkling disco balls, bright colours, and a heavy sprinkling of flower power. Pinterest reported a whopping 170% surge in searches for ‘Groovy Wedding’ and 80% more searches for a ‘Retro Wedding Theme’ over a 2-year span, and it comes to no surprise that couples are looking to inject more fun, flair, and a little boogie wonderland into their day.
So how do you achieve the perfect 70’s wedding without it feeling like you’re stepping into a total blast from the past? We’ve rounded up all the top trends including the most popular 70s-inspired engagement ring trends too that’ll make your wedding one you, your partner and all your attendees are sure to never forget.
70s Engagement Ring Envy
If you or your partner is a lover of all things retro, we’re taking it right back to the 70s where gemstones, yellow gold and princess cut engagement rings were all the rage. The 70s was all about bold, statement-making styles, it was a time where flower power and unapologetic joy was at the forefront and the popular engagement rings of that time certainly reflected that.
Princess cut engagement rings especially we’re loved and adored in the 70s. Not only are they a classic, but their distinct pointed corners allow a gemstone to really shine – plus they’re a style that’s never really gone out of style either. So, if you’re thinking of opting for one of these for your own engagement ring, you’ve got the right idea!
Yellow gold was also incredibly popular in this era, and this too will certainly make a comeback in 2024, chunky yellow gold styles are set to be big in particular. Yellow gold engagement rings have a real warm, luxurious feel, and compliment any skin tone perfectly.
Finally, we can’t mention the 70s without talking about coloured gemstones! Colour was a real prominent part of the 70s identity. Gemstones like Citrine, Amethyst, Emeralds, and Rubies were loved in this decade. Coloured engagement rings all have their own individual meaning too, so if you’re looking for a gemstone engagement ring to propose with – you can tie your gemstone choice in with this too to add an extra layer of meaning.
Go Bold or Go Home
Wedding décor is important at the best of times, but when it comes to the 70s this is where the fun and glittering decadence of the decade really come into play. You’ll have seen the odd addition of disco balls at weddings over the last few years, but in 2024 we’re expecting to see the full works from old vinyl records, heavy fringing, and bright explosions of colour at every turn.
Wondering where to start? Some popular additions we’ve seen are hanging vertical flower garlands, vintage telephone guest books, bright neon signs and groovy sunglasses for guests. If you’re a lover of pink and orange, you can experiment with different tones too, mixing bright pops of colour with rusts and deeper shades too. What we love about 70s wedding décor too is it doesn’t have to be in a specific season, it just works for all four! The boho wedding of your dreams can be celebrated all year round.
Lace and Low Necklines Are In
Of course, we can’t talk about the glorious fluidity of the 70s without talking about fashion. With TV series like Daisy Jones & the Six bringing 70s fashion to the forefront in more recent times, if you’re a lover of all things bohemian this trend is certainly one, you’re going to fall in love with fast. Firstly, if you’ve always dreamed of a more vintage-inspired wedding dress, you’re certainly in the right era!
In the 70s, wedding dresses were unique, incredibly varied, and undoubtably fabulous. Continuing on from the various 60s trends, women enjoyed experimenting with their style even more during this decade and that showed in