Government to review British Hallmarking Council

The UK government has announced that it will commence a review into the British Hallmarking Council (BHC) which will look at the role, remit and governance of the BHC, including options to merge, abolish or reform it.

The BHC is an executive, non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade.

Will Evans, director of the London Assay Office has welcomed the review stating that he was “looking forward to engaging with the review constructively”.

According to Evans the review should look at options to reinvigorate overseas trading with our customers in EU markets, which has taken a blow in the wake of Brexit, and address the ongoing issues relating to hallmarking enforcement, especially of online marketplaces.

Evans said: “We welcome the Government’s review of the British Hallmarking Council (BHC), which was established in January 1974 under the Hallmarking Act of 1973. The Act, which was last updated in 2000, ensures the integrity of precious metal standards, providing assurance to consumers and businesses and a guarantee of the purity and quality of items purchased made from precious metals (gold, silver, platinum and palladium).

“Hallmarking has played a crucial role in consumer protection and industry confidence for seven centuries. The Goldsmiths’ Company’s London Assay Office was the UK’s first Assay Office, established in 1300. We look forward to engaging constructively with the Review to ensure that the UK’s hallmarking framework continues to uphold trust, protect consumers, and support businesses.”

He added: “It is essential that any future opportunities for the regulation of hallmarking in the UK not only maintain high standards and protect buyers of precious metals, but also support growth, innovation, and the continued success of the UK’s assay offices and the jewellery and silversmithing industries. In the meantime, we remain committed to fulfilling our statutory duties.”