The Birmingham Assay Office has released full-year 2013 hallmarking figures for the UK's four assay offices, revealing an annual drop of 1.9% compared to 2012's figures. The total 9,156,858 articles were assayed in the UK in 2013 compared to 9,331,451 in 2012. Despite the slight decline in figures, the BAO described the figure as "a significant improvement" compared to 2012 when the level of decline was -14% compared to the previous year. The BAO has also released hallmarking figures for Q4 2013 and for December 2013. A statement from the BAO said: "As the gold price started to fall in 2013, the assay offices began to see uplift in the number of articles submitted for hallmarking and, as the fourth quarter figures show, this positive trend has continued through to the end of the year. Hallmarking figures for the full year 2013, Q4 2013 and December 2013 are as follows: Annual UK Hallmarking Figures for 2013 Gold 24ct (999) - up 54.7% (1,696 items) 24ct (990) - up 9.8% (415 items) 22ct (916) - up 10.2% (368,221 items) 18ct (750) - down 1.9% (782,009 items) 14ct (585) - up 9.8% (70,882 items) 9ct (375) - down 2.5% (2,875,797 items) Total gold items - down 1.1% (4,099,020 items) Silver  Fine silver (999) - down 78.8% (12,818 items) Britannia silver (958) - up 143.1% (21,232 items) Sterling silver (925) - down 1.8% (4,653,991 items) 800 parts silver - down 77.8% (433 items) Total silver items - down 2.5% (4,688,474 items) Platinum 999 parts - down 42.9% (32 items) 950 parts - up 3.4% (257,304 items) 900 parts - down 6.1% (185 items) 850 parts - down 55.6% (44 items) Total platinum items - up 3.3% (257,565 items) Palladium 999 parts - down 97.5% (4 items) 950 parts - down 7.7% (96,059 items) 500 parts - down 25.7% (15,736 items) Total palladium items - down 10.8% (111,799 items) Total items hallmarked in 2013 - down 1.9% (9,156,858 items)   Hallmarking Figures for Q4 2013 vs Q4 2012 Gold 24ct (999) - down 42.7% (323 items) 24ct (990) - up 1,250% (27 items) 22ct (916) - up 32.4% (100,246 items) 18ct (750) - up 19% (267,858 items) 14ct (585) - up 23.7% (22,281 items) 9ct (375) - up 17% (1,052,242 items) Total gold items - up 18.4% (1,442,977 items) Silver Fine silver (999) - down 25.4% (4,225 items) Britannia silver (958) - up 94.3% (5,151 items) Sterling silver (925) - up 3.3% (1,637,063 items) 800 parts silver - down 91.4% (23 items) Total silver items - up 3.4% (1,646,462 items) Platinum 999 parts - up 100% (1 items) 950 parts - up 17.2% (63,769 items) 900 parts - down 5.4% (53 items) 850 parts - down 7.7% (12 items) Total platinum items - up 17.1% (63,835 items) Palladium 999 parts - down 95.2% (1 items) 950 parts - down 6.9% (17,339 items) 500 parts - up 42.3% (4,183 items) Total palladium items - down 0.3% (21,523 items) Total items hallmarked in Q4 2013 - up 9.9% (3,174,797 items) Hallmarking Figures for December 2013 vs December 2012 Gold 24ct (999) - up 650% (15 items) 24ct (990) - up 800% (9 items) 22ct (916) - up 36.3% (25,723 items) 18ct (750) - up 27.9% (72,289 items) 14ct (585) - up 72.6% (7,484 items) 9ct (375) - up 30.4% (268,828 items) Total gold items - up 30.9% (374,348 items) Silver  Fine silver (999) - down 56.4% (552 items) Britannia silver (958) - down 1.8% (911 items) Sterling silver (925) - up 17.9% (427,358 items) 800 parts silver - down 100% (0 items) Total silver items - up 17.5% (428,821 items) Platinum 999 parts - level (0 items) 950 parts - up 15.9% (16,626 items) 900 parts - down 50% (2 items) 850 parts - up 50% (3 items) Total platinum items - up 15.8% (16,631 items) Palladium 999 parts - up 100% (1 item) 950 parts - down 27.6% (4,680 items) 500 parts - up 190.2% (1,857 items) Total palladium items - down 8% (6,538 items) Total items hallmarked in December 2013 - up 22.9% (826,338 items) Courtesy of the Professional Jeweller