The Gentleman Magazine Issue 15 | June 2019 | Page 66

THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS TO CONSIDER
WHEN BUYING JEWELLERY IN THE UK
When buying jewellery and diamonds, many customers aren’t
clued up on UK jewellery laws and regulations. For example,
hallmarking can guarantee purity and the independent
certification of a diamond can prove that the stone has been
graded by an unbiased and professional examination. Read
on as we cover all the key facts on UK jewellery laws and
regulations.
With the help of Angelic Diamonds, wedding ring retailers, we
take you through everything you need to know!
Hallmarking
Hallmarking was established 700 years ago to avoid the
fraudulent selling of precious metals. In Britain, if a jeweller
claims that a piece has gold, silver, platinum or palladium in
it, it must be hallmarked. This is according to the Hallmarking
Act 1973.
What is a hallmark? A hallmark is a government seal that is
stamped on a metal object to display its purity. Only an official
UK government assay office can apply a hallmark and there are
only four locations in the UK that carry this out. It’s important
to note that only official assaying can guarantee standards, and
this is something you can ask about when you buy jewellery.
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You might also have noticed a difference in white and yellow
golds. These must be further classified into 9K, 14K, 18K
and 22K standards. It’s also essential for silver, platinum and
palladium rings to satisfy a certain percentage of purity to meet
UK hallmarking standards. It is a legal offence to claim that
jewellery is made with a precious metal if it’s not hallmarked
in this way, bear this in mind when you’re purchasing from an
untrusted source.
There are some exemptions from precious metals objects, and
these are those that weigh under a certain number of grams:
• 1 gram for gold
• 0.5 gram for platinum & palladium
• 7.78 grams for silver
You therefore won’t expect to see a hallmark if you purchase
jewellery with metal content lower than the above figures.
Diamond certification
You’ll receive a diamond certification when you buy a piece
of jewellery that has a precious gem in it. Always check that
you receive a lab report or certificate to ensure that what you’re
buying is legitimate.
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