PRESS RELEASE: Recipient of The Inaugural Edinburgh Assay Office Award Announced

In 2025, The Edinburgh Assay Office Award was launched. This new initiative, aimed at supporting a sustainable Silversmithing sector in Scotland, is a continuation of the Edinburgh Assay Office’s longstanding commitment to championing excellence in craft.

The premise of this award was purposefully open—to create a noteworthy piece of silver by asking the question, what is one piece of contemporary silver you have always dreamed of making, but never had the chance to? The only design stipulation for applicants was to ensure the hallmark, done at Edinburgh Assay Office, would be a conspicuous feature of the piece.

Applications for the award came from makers across the length and breadth of Scotland, with innovative and daring designs that met the challenge of the brief. The design panel included representatives from the Edinburgh Assay Office, including multidisciplinary Designer Maeve Gillies, Joanne Lim and Eda Obermanns, and those from the Hugo Burge Foundation, CEO Lucy Brown and Creative Director Dr James Fox.

Edinburgh Assay Office are pleased to announce the recipient of the inaugural Edinburgh Assay Office Award: Edinburgh-based Silversmith, Bryony Knox.

Bryony’s playful and kinetic design thrilled the selection panel, presenting a design that is both technically challenging and visually engaging. Bryony’s design, entitled ‘St Ninian’s: A Box of Delights,’ celebrates Leith’s long history and Bryony’s immediate surroundings. Based at Coburg House Studios, Bryony’s workshop is adjacent to St Ninian’s Manse, the oldest building in Leith, with its origins dating to 1493. Over the centuries, St Ninian’s has evolved from a church to shipbuilder’s warehouse, and now to a collection of flats and offices, cared for by Scottish Historic Buildings Trust.

Bryony will create a unique box, shaped as the roof and golden cockerel weathervane of St Ninian’s. In Bryony’s words, the concept is for a piece that ‘both surprises and delights, combining mechanical ingenuity with storytelling. The box will feature hidden drawers, concealed mechanisms, hinges, clasps, and springs—a structure that invites curiosity and exploration’.

Edinburgh Assay Office are pleased to partner with The Hugo Burge Foundation on this award. Bryony will receive a four-week, fully funded residency at the Marchmont Silversmithing Workshop in Duns. This state-of-the-art silversmithing workshop offers tenants and residents the opportunity to develop new work and participate in skills exchange.

Based on the quality of designs submitted, the selection panel also felt it was important to Highly Commend two of the applicants. The first Highly Commended design came from Glasgow-based Silversmith, Monica Findlay. Monica proposed a contemporary Reliquary Box design, responding to ancient Scottish artefacts and fostering a thoughtful connection to the materials in her immediate surroundings. The second Highly Commended design came from  Borders-based Silversmith Anna Olafsson. Anna proposed a unique sterling silver water jug inspired by the Dynjandi waterfall in her native Iceland.

Joanne Lim, Deacon of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths, said, ‘I was pleased with the range of applications we received for the inaugural Edinburgh Assay Office award, and it took some time for the panel to reach unanimity.  Ultimately, Bryony’s design stood out: it perfectly captures the spirit of contemporary silversmithing in Scotland—whimsical, technically inventive and rooted in both the history of the craft and that of Scotland.’

Eda Obermanns, Digital Communication & Marketing Lead at Edinburgh Assay Office, said, ‘It’s incredibly exciting to work with Bryony and see her imagination come to life in this commission. The piece is a celebration of place, curiosity and craftsmanship—one that invites everyone to explore and be delighted by the possibilities of silver’.

Silversmith Bryony Knox said, ‘I am delighted that my design has been chosen by the Edinburgh Assay Office. I chose to design a box inspired by a building close to my heart—one that combines Scottish historical stories that intrigue me while also pushing my making skills and personal curiosity. This award, and my time at the Marchmont Silversmithing Workshop, will allow me to realise St. Nininan's:  A Box of Delights, an idea that had been mulling around in my imagination for some time but that I have never had the opportunity to bring to life. It’s incredibly exciting.’

About Edinburgh Assay Office

Edinburgh Assay Office (EAO) is a self-funding statutory body. Our purpose is to provide an independent third-party guarantee of precious metal fineness.  Through their expertise in precious metal verification, and their role in the design and application of industry standards, they ensure that every item bearing our castle mark meets with the requirements of the Hallmarking Act and any applicable international standards. 

EAO safeguard consumers’ interests, by advocating for transparent product descriptions, pre-market testing, product traceability systems and compliance through post market surveillance.  

EAO contribute to a sustainable regulatory framework which enables the growth of markets where consumers are empowered to make informed choices, and retailers compete on a level playing field.