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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Feb- 2019 -13 FebruaryEconomy
Gold and platinum up double-digits in January hallmarking
The number of gold and platinum pieces hallmarked in January 2019 increased significantly by 17.9% and 19.1% respectively, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. The average volume of silver also grew by 2.1% from 425,631 to 437,344, however palladium decreased by 31.4% to 4,481 hallmarked items. Overall…
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Jan- 2019 -14 JanuaryMetal Prices
Platinum up 9.4% in December; Overall 2018 results revealed
Platinum hallmarking increased by 9.4% in December 2018, compared with the same period the previous year, despite overall volumes decreasing by 2.1% according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. The number of gold pieces hallmarked decreased from 322,033 in December 2017 to 312,281 in 2018. Silver and palladium…
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4 JanuaryEvents
Goldsmith’s Fair 2019 opens for applications
Goldsmith’s Fair has opened applications for designers to submit their work for the 37th edition of the showcase. Jewellery professionals have until midnight on 28 February 2019 to submit their work before The Goldsmiths’ Fair Selection Committee meet in March to deliberate applications. Last year, 138 exhibitors took part and…
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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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