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 UKโs assay offices, regulatory changes, innovations in testing, and insights into the role hallmarking plays in supporting the trade.
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Apr- 2015 -2 AprilCrime
Birmingham jewellers fined over unhallmarked gold
A Birmingham jewellery firm has been ordered to pay a total of ยฃ8,288 after it was found to be selling unhallmarked gold.ย Yousaf Jewellers, based in Coventry Road, Small Heath in Birmingham, was fined ยฃ500 for each offence (ยฃ6,500), ordered to pay costs of ยฃ1,738 and a ยฃ50 victim surcharge…
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1 AprilTrade Organisations
Marked feature bricks laid in new BAO premises
The new premises currently being constructed for the Birmingham Assay Office this weekend saw the addition of several ‘feature bricks’, bearing key hallmarking symbols used during the office’s 240 years in operation. Theย marksย include the traditional hallmarking symbols; a lion for sterling silver, crown for gold, orb for platinum and Pallas…
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Mar- 2015 -25 MarchCrime
Jeweller fined ยฃ70k over hallmarking
A Birmingham jeweller was today sentenced to 10 weeks imprisonment and ordered to pay more than ยฃ70,000ย after pleading guilty to 21 offences under the Hallmarking Act 1973 and Trade Marks Act 1994. Umran Rafiq, trading as Asian Jewellers based in Alum Rock Road, Alum Rock, was ordered to pay…
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18 MarchAnalysis
MARKET ANALYSIS: precious metals and the market
[intro]After a turbulent couple of years, more reasonable metal prices are creating the conditions for hallmarking figures to climb steadily. TOM DAVIS speaks to some of the best-known bullion houses and assay offices to find out their thoughts on where the market for precious metals is heading.[/intro] Thereโs no doubt…
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11 MarchEconomy
Hallmarking figures climb in February
The total number of articles hallmarked across all four of the UKโs assay offices saw a 7.9% increase in February, compared with the same month last year.ย According to the data (compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office), there was a total of 55,419 more articles hallmarked in February this year…
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Feb- 2015 -17 FebruaryProduct Launches
Edinburgh Assay Office launches new pay-as-you-go service
The Edinburgh Assay Office (EAO) is hoping to โunlock international marketsโ for online jewellery retailerโs with a new pay-as-you-go hallmarking and fulfilment service for online retailers.ย The new service will combine hallmarking and fulfilment with final mile delivery, opening up UK and EU markets for companies importing precious metal jewellery…
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12 FebruaryEconomy
Hallmarking figures drop in January
After a strong year of growth for hallmarking figures in 2014 the total number of articles hallmarked was down 7.6% in January 2015 compared to the same time last year.ย According to data from the four UK assay offices and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, there was a total…
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Jan- 2015 -14 JanuaryEconomy
9ct gold jumps by a million items in full year hallmarking figures
The year 2014 marked an overallย upward trajectory of the UK’s hallmarking figures, with the number of items marked rising 13.7% overall, to just under 10.4 million items – 1.2 million more than previous year. The standout performer was 9ct gold, which rose a staggering 25.1% to just over 3.6ย million items…
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12 JanuaryProduct Launches
New โsub-officeโ in Heathrow for Edinburgh Assay Office
The Edinburgh Assay Office has launched a new, one-stop, secure, in-transit hallmarking and onward delivery service based at its new facility at Heathrow Airport.ย The Edinburgh Assay Office said that in โthe global jewellery market, the challenge of complying with separate regulations in each EU location has made it difficult…
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11 JanuaryEditor's Blog
Two important hopes for a jewellery industry boom 2015
Two stories broke this week that give plenty of reason to believe that the UK jewellery industry can enjoy an upward trajectory in the year ahead. First, Signet announced that it’s UK division enjoyed sales growth of 9.7% in the Christmas trading period, compared with the same period last year.…
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