a hallmark of time

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 Design Inspiration:

The client's brief was to design and construct a smallworks, which incorporated movement and related to the Assay Offices'  history.

Based on the notion of "perpetual motion" an archimedes screw provides continuous circulation of a never-ending series of ceramic balls, using a mechanism concealed within the wooden base.

Design Features:

Handcrafted from sterling silver tubes, a helical channel facilitates the downward travel of the ceramic balls. Thereby emulating the passage of time, from the Assay Offices' foundation in 1773 to the 250th Anniversary in 2023.

Each milestone in the Assay Offices'  history is depicted by a hand-crafted assay emblem attached to the silver channel. A large white rose and anchor emphasise the unity of the two assay offices.

The whole assembly is mounted on an illuminated wooden plinth and contained within a protective transaprent case.

It is on display at the Sheffield Assay Office.

Hallmarks Detail

1773 The Act of May 1773 established Assay Offices in both Birmingham and Sheffield.  

- A special handmade crown including set stones and fleur-de-lys with royal purple velvet trimmed by ermine cap for Sheffield and a silver cast anchor with inset stone and chain representing their initial hallmarks.

1824 Birmingham empowered to hallmark gold. 

- Represented by a hand-made cast silver gold plated ingot.

1855 Gold Wedding Ring Act required all wedding rings to be hallmarked.

- Represented by a handmade gold plated silver wedding ring.

1904 Sheffield allowed to hallmark gold and they changed their town mark to the rose. 

- Depicted by large central Sheffield rose handcrafted in silver with red and green colouring initially and central set Synthetic Ruby. Later changed to  white and green colouring.

1953 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation commemorative hallmark. 

- Depicted by an enlarged version of the mark.

1975 Platinum became a hallmarkable metal. 

- Depicted by handmade silver orb and cross.

1975 British Government ratified the international Convention on Hallmarking.

- Depicted by handmade scales balanced by a small anchor and rose held in the pans.

2009 Palladium became a hallmarkable metal. 

- Depicted by an enlarged version of the mark.

2023 King Charles III Coronation commemorative hallmark. 

- Depicted by an enlarged version of the mark.

2023 250th Anniversary Commemorative mark. 

- Depicted by an enlarged version of the mark.

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