Moving to UK and assay office legislation

[Edhelien]

Hello,

hopefuly I will be moving to UK next spring from Czech Republic. I have some questions about assay office, hallmarking and related things.

I am registered with the Czech assay office as a jewelry maker. I use silver only, usually it is quite lightweight. I have czech sponsor mark with my initials and 925 punch. We have limit 3,49 g of silver - than I do not need official mark and can use my 925 punch (most of cases). Above this limit I have to use sponsor mark and take the jewelry to assay office for offiacial marking.

I would like to ask about differences in UK legislation.
I understand that I have to be registered with british assay office too. Do I also need british sponsor mark and some other mark (different that 925 which I already have)? Are there some weight limits? And for some older pieces made in Czech Republic and marked with czech marks - is it ok to sell them in UK?

Could you tell me summary of basic facts I need to know before moving? Or could you give me some links where I can read it altogether without picking little pieces of information on internet forums?

Thank you very much.

[Dennis]

Hi Edhelien,

We have several assay offices in the UK and you may choose any one of them, but they have their own unique registration marks. You can start here:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Br...IpGthQf60ICgDA


Our member Steve LAO, from the London assay office Goldsmiths Hall will give you specific information when he sees this, but only on week days. Welcome, Dennis.

[pearlescence]

Since you have a registered Czech republic mark ( and the republic is a member state of the EU) it may be that there is some reciprocal arrangement and you can continue to use that. You need to contact the London or other assay office for a definitive answer. (or your Czech assay office might be able to tell you)

[SteveLAO]

Hi there. The Czech republic is in the European convention arrangement so you won't have to re register in the UK. What you will need though is your sponsor mark, town mark and fineness mark applied by your home assay office together with the convention mark or CCM (common control mark) which looks like a set of old scales with the fineness number on them - your home assay office will be able to guide you.

http://www.hallmarkingconvention.org is the website which will give you more information on convention marking and your country's contact details.

Regarding weight restrictions in the UK - silver items weighing over 7.78g will require hallmarking, under this weight do not require hallmarking. Gold and palladium items over 1gram and platinum items over 0.5 gram also require hallmarking.

[SteveLAO]

Ah,,,just re read your thread and spotted that you want to move permanently to the UK. In which case then it might be more convenient for you to register with a UK assay office. You may be able to use your sponsor mark here so long as it is a mark that is recognised by the assay office and of course so long as someone hasn't got it here already as the mark needs to be unique. Charges for registration are £72.00 which will last you for 10 years.

[Edhelien]

I am not sure if it is permanent moving. We (with my husband) want to try living somewhere else. And it is important to have beginning costs as low as possible - so I am glad I can wait with the registration.

I will read recommended websites, thank you very much