Prince strikes a blow for quality in Britain

Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall toured Goldsmiths’ Hall in London and the Prince said: “London and Birmingham are great centres for jewellery and goldsmithing.

“We must maintain the reputation of this country around the world for real quality.”

The Prince said the Goldsmiths’ Company did brilliantly in ensuring that remarkable skills and craftsmanship were continued into the future.

“I have always worried about the severing of the golden thread that has linked one generation to the other, and the secret is to maintain a living tradition.

“I can’t tell you how much I admire all the work you do here, let alone the skill and craftsmanship of the apprentices and their masters.”

The company, founded to regulate the goldsmithing craft, has been responsible since 1300 for testing the quality of gold, silver, and more recently platinum and palladium. It also supports training opportunities in related industries.

Charles is known to have an interest in apprenticeships, having previously given his name to a building crafts apprentices scheme.

His youth charity, The Prince’s Trust, helps young people develop the skills they need to move into work, education or training.

The Prince was able to strike on to a piece of silver part of the Diamond Jubilee hallmark which will celebrate the Queen’s 60 years on the throne next year.

The commemorative hallmark will be an optional mark available from all four UK Assay Offices in combination with a statutory hallmark.

The Prince tapped in a leopard’s head symbol and kept the piece of silver as a memento. The hallmark depicts a young Queen Elizabeth in a diamond shaped surround.