Hallmarking
Hallmarking is a cornerstone of the UK jewellery trade, ensuring the authenticity and quality of precious metal items through independent verification. For jewellers, manufacturers, and suppliers, staying up to date with hallmarking legislation, standards, and practices is essential to maintaining compliance and consumer trust. Jewellery Focus provides expert coverage on hallmarking, including updates from the UK’s assay offices, regulatory changes, innovations in testing, and insights into the role hallmarking plays in supporting the trade.
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Dec- 2018 -18 DecemberManufacturers
Gold drops 2.8% in November hallmarking
Gold hallmarking fell by 2.8% in November 2018 compared with the same period the previous year, this is despite overall volumes increasing by 1.8% according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. The number of gold pieces hallmarked decreased from 492,537 in November 2017 to 478, 589 in 2018.…
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Nov- 2018 -23 NovemberFeatures
A hallmark of the future
Changes in the market have driven the Birmingham Assay Office to invest heavily in the technology to apply hallmarks by laser during the past decade. Laser marking is now an established method for applying statutory hallmarks but its potential as a way to differentiate and add value to products is…
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22 NovemberFeatures
What is x-ray fluorescence testing?
The change in the UK jewellery market during the past 15 years has been dramatic and irreversible. Items made outside the UK now outnumber UK manufactured articles by about nine to one and there has been a significant increase in silver and mixed metal articles and those which are hollow…
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20 NovemberQ&A Sessions
Company Q&A: Pranda UK
Tell us a bit about the history of Pranda Pranda UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pranda Jewelry and was established in Thailand over 40 years ago. It specialises in manufacturing gold and silver gem set jewellery along with high end fashion jewellery. The UK subsidiary is effectively the…
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16 NovemberFeatures
Saying ‘Yes’ to platinum
Platinum has been successfully marketed as the ultimate precious metal and has proved relatively resilient to recent financial turmoil. Volume in the platinum market is very much driven by the bridal market and it has fared slightly better than gold and silver. Platinum is firmly established as the luxury option…
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14 NovemberMetal Prices
Strong double-digit growth for gold and platinum in October hallmarking
Hallmarking increased by an average of 1.6% in October 2018 compared with the same period the previous year, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. This was supported by double-digit growth in gold, increasing by 60,849 to 509,390 hallmarked pieces, and platinum, rising by 4,593 to 28,652 items…
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Oct- 2018 -12 OctoberEconomy
Hallmarking drops 11% as silver and platinum struggle
Hallmarking fell by an average of 11.7% in September 2018 compared with the same period the previous year, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. The number of silver and platinum pieces hallmarked decreased by 22.2% and 7% respectively. However, gold did increase 1.5% up from 364,440 to…
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Sep- 2018 -27 SeptemberSponsored
Company Q&A – Learning with Experts
Tell me a bit about the company? Learning with Experts provides high quality online learning that’s both enjoyable and accessible. People all over the world can now learn from the greatest experts, from the comfort of their own homes. And we’re delighted to have teamed up with Joanna Hardy and…
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25 SeptemberFeatures
Getting the Most from your Hallmark
While the hallmark is regarded as the oldest form of consumer protection, it can also be used creatively as a marketing tool. Not only does it provide provenance, but it can also be used as a mechanism to commemorate special occasions or events; yet many people still don not understand…
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18 SeptemberMetal Prices
Hallmarking figures drop 2.3% in August
Hallmarking fell by an average of 2.3% in August 2018 compared with the same period the previous year, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. The number of gold and platinum pieces hallmarked increased significantly by 7.9% and 29.3% respectively. However, silver and palladium both dropped by a…
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