Financial Times Article about Hallmarking

Interesting to see the charts showing the dramatic decline in UK struck marks over last decade. I wonder if that's because a lot of importers are simply not bothering to assay many items and just accepting some maker applied finesse mark? Reading between the lines it sounds like the policing and checking of items on the High Street or coming through our ports isn't what it was. I sort of suspect that there is more dodgy or wrongly-described metal in retail circulation than we would be happy about.

https://www.ft.com/content/470b69b2-...6-9bfa4c1f83d2

While correlation is not causation, it'd also be interesting to see a graph mapping assay price rises against volume of silver hallmarking...
Trading standards for the most part seem singularly uninterested in the breaches of law that are rife.

Yes, if there is no enforcement, there is no law. Trading standards seemed to have backed off from jewellery and precious metals and the Assay Offices have no means of policing what they don't get delivered to their door. There will come a point when the retail trade just decides to treat the UK marking of silver and 9ct gold items as 'optional' and too expensive in relation to the value of the items. In fact if what I see online and in some shops is anything to go by, we may have already reached that point. Shame as i would hate to see the UK become as prone to metal fraud as happens in some places.

This is part of the present climate of permissiveness, perhaps due to lack of funds.
Police are no longer interested in low profile crime. Sentencing is reduced and serious offenders are being released early out of expediency. Community service is not enforced.
Don't get me onto legalising psychotropic drugs.
Do I sound like an old ---rt? perhaps I am. Dennis.

With the rise in would trade the policing of such is going to decline, many countries have no Government assay facility, it is up to the individual manufacturer, to honestly mark their goods, as in Australia, it is however highly unlawful to fraudulently mark items.
Individuals and companies do not want goods held up at a assay office before they can sell them in a particular country. I have in the past had such problems, (the item was a gift and caused problems for insurance)
My belief is government assaying of items will disappear

Actually the legalisation of drug use in Portugal has seen a massive decline in their use.
Interesting that selling drugs is still illegal here mind you given that its legal to buy them :confused: