Wow, So stuff made in the far east can be assayed there with UK hallmarks?

[medusa]

I was chatting with my casters the other day and they were saying that the Birmingham assay office is opening an office in the far east. I don't know how much stuff which is made and then assayed in the far east by european assay offices is sold in the UK, but I can't imagine it's that much, surely?

Makes you wonder what is the point of maintaining the assay system if it can be diluted like this.

[Goldsmith]

There has been an Assay Office at Heathrow for the past 5 years, Liz. I did read this article that said they had Assayed and marked nearly 5 million imported items so far in this 5 year term. See;http://www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk/inde...niversary.html

James

[medusa]

not quite the same as stuff being assayed in China with a Birmingham hallmark though, is it?

[Tabby66]

not quite the same as stuff being assayed in China with a Birmingham hallmark though, is it?

I'd heard a new 'British' assay office had opened in China, but that it wasn't being widely publicised!! Is that right Liz, they are marking with the Birmingham Anchor??.......as if Birmingham assayed piece??........nothing to differentiate??

Sadly shocked by this detail.

[trialuser]

Am I being thick here?
I thought the assay mark was a mark of assay, not a made in UK mark.
If it meets the required assay then it can be marked to protect and reassure the buyer.
If a UK office wants to do it then surely we should be reassured that the process was carried out legitimately and the import safe to buy.
It doesn't really matter if it was made by a Chinaman or a Scotswoman does it.
It would be interesting to know what the charges were though - I bet they are lower than for work submitted in the UK.

The question of possible cheap Chinese imported stuff damaging the UK makers market is another matter though.
Do you think it would affect the market that many on here aim for if the imports were UK hallmarked?
I reckon people are a bit snobby when it comes to jewellery and either buy it because it was made by so and so, or hand crafted in a studio in cuteshire - obviously they have to like it as well.
I was thinking of trying to sell a few bits I made to people at work for basically the materials cost to cover the bullion while I try and improve. When I did a bit of market research (asking about 20 or 30 women at work), whether they would attribute any extra perceived worth if a hallmark was present, not one would. Most did not know it was a legal requirement over a certain weight. Granted this was mostly 22 - 35 year olds and the very cheapest end of the market.

[pearlescence]

Isn't a hallmark a mark that shows a piece was presented for assay in a certain year. at a certain assay office by a specific person and was assayed to be of a certain standard. It isn't a maker's mark, it's a sponsor's mark, for eg.
One good thing about brum/china assay is that you can be sure no nickel regs breach