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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Mar- 2020 -4 MarchTips
Your Guide to Jewellery Hallmarks – What to Know
A piece of jewellery is one of the most priced possessions a person can have—they are precious and can be pretty expensive, with some even costing as much as a brand new car. It is only ideal that when you choose jewellery, whether for yourself or as a gift, you…
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Feb- 2020 -19 FebruaryTips
3 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Diamond Jewellery
There’s nothing more precious than investing in a piece of diamond jewellery. Wearing one during a special occasion gives you utter class, elegance, and sophistication. You can also add it up to your precious metal collection as a good investment. Most diamonds come with a certificate or appraisal of authenticity.…
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17 FebruaryEconomy
Gold and platinum up single digits in January hallmarking
The number of gold and platinum pieces hallmarked in January 2020 increased by 1.4% and 7.6% respectively, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. Gold hallmarked pieces increased from 281,752 to 285,647 and platinum items increased from 24,900 to 26794 during the month. However, this was offset slightly…
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Jan- 2020 -29 JanuaryTips
Important factors to consider when buying gold jewellery – What to know
Considered as the ultimate when it comes to luxury, gold will never run out of fashion. The mere mention of this elegant metal is already enough to catch anyone’s attention. After all, who doesn’t adore or love shining pieces of gold jewellery? They make an elegant fashion accessory for people…
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17 JanuaryEconomy
Gold and silver fall in December hallmarking
The number of gold and silver pieces hallmarked in December 2019 decreased by 7.1% and 12.7% respectively, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. Gold hallmarked pieces decreased from 312,281 to 290,186 and silver items decreased from 373,756 to 326,442 during the month. Additionally, palladium decreased by 37.7%…
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Dec- 2019 -4 DecemberFeatures
What to do if you see someone breaking hallmarking law
A real frustration for jewellers who make sure they comply with hallmarking law is seeing instances of others flouting the law and apparently getting away with it, selling items without a valid UK hallmark. The hallmark is a vital form of consumer protection because you can’t judge the composition of…
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3 DecemberAdvice
How jewellery retailers can ride the Brexit storm
As we enter the next chapter of Brexit, and negotiations face the hurdle of a general election, how can UK jewellery retailers stay profitable and prepare themselves for the final outcome next year? We recently conducted research which found that there is already a great deal of uncertainty in the…
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Nov- 2019 -12 NovemberMetal Prices
Platinum hallmarking increases 22.2% in October
Platinum hallmarking increased by 22.2% in October 2019 compared with the same period the previous year, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. The number of platinum pieces hallmarked increased from 28,652 in October 2018 to 35,026 in 2019. Despite overall volumes decreasing by 5.6% during the month,…
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12 NovemberFeatures
15 Minutes with Scott Walter, Edinburgh Assay Office CEO
Tell me about your appointment as chairman of the Convention on the Control & Marking of Articles of Precious Metals? On 1 November I will take up the Chair of the Convention. The Convention is an international treaty between contracting states. It’s purpose is to create a mechanism for cross…
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4 NovemberCurrent Affairs
Third of UK gold jewellery sold online suspected as fake, warns BHC
A third of “gold” jewellery being sold online is suspected to be unhallmarked and therefore may be fake, raising concerns that UK consumers are being duped by internet traders, according to data released today from the British Hallmarking Council (BHC). A 10-day internet sweep by WRi Group in partnership with…
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