Demand for packaging testing increases - Added 26.01.09

The Laboratory at The Birmingham Assay Office pioneered testing for the susceptibility of packaging materials to influence tarnishing three years ago and has amassed a huge amount of research and knowledge. The tests are based on international standards and have been developed specifically for the jewellery and precious metal trade. Jewellery can be tested for its susceptibility to tarnishing and packaging for its tendency to accelerate tarnishing. These unique tests have already helped many importers identify a problem component, usually a sulphur containing glue, in an item of packaging which could cause a whole consignment of silver to tarnish while in transit between the manufacturer and the purchaser.

In a new development, The Laboratory are now receiving packaging which includes precious metal articles to test for their susceptibility to tarnishing. Packaging suppliers with no connection to the jewellery industry are submitting products with metallic decoration for testing. Special edition (empty) bottles of alcohol, expensive fragrance bottles; even decorative tiles with a thin film of gold have all been tested recently and the techniques continue to develop to satisfy this demand. “It is all about the Consumer’s expectations and satisfaction” says Tim Smith, Sales Manager for The Laboratory. “Many people collect these upmarket products and they expect them to sit on the shelf for years without deteriorating. The tests that The Laboratory offers establish whether they will do just that and as such they are proving increasingly popular.”

For more information please call tel: 0121 262 1036 or email testing@theassayoffice.co.uk