Hallmarking when NOT legally required

[handmadeblanks]

The thing is that many customers don't even know about hallmarking or understand it so I can't see this being worth £120 per year to most sellers.
I had never heard of it so I can't imagine any of my customers have - in which case where is the value ?

It must have some value because I found many jewellers selling on eBay displaying the ‘Assay Assured’ logo. That’s what made me research it. I think it makes perfect sense for anyone selling articles below hallmarking threshold. The quantity you sell per year will determine whether the membership cost pays for itself when compared to hallmarking underweight articles. I disagree completely with making a hallmark an optional extra for customers as the OP is considering.
I’m seriously thinking about signing up but I first need to have my own website to host the certificate and my productivity right now is so low that even if I sell everything I make it wouldn’t cover the cost of membership.

@misspond:

This is the extra layer of something

Independent Verification

All precious metal jewellery offered by Assay Assured Jewellery Retailers carries the legally-required independent hallmark verifying the precious metal content (unless the item is exempt by weight). The retailer is part of a scheme of sampling and testing by Assay Assured to ensure that jewellery exempt by weight from hallmarking is also of the claimed standard - a protection over and above legal requirements.


TBH, I am surprised that people here don't seem to have heard of Assay Assured, I found it hard to miss on eBay...

[china]

I am glad we do not have this over complicated red tape in Australia, our system is simple and easy and does not seem to suffer from counterfeit any more or less than "government Hallmarking"

[handmadeblanks]

I am glad we do not have this over complicated red tape in Australia, our system is simple and easy and does not seem to suffer from counterfeit any more or less than "government Hallmarking"

True, but if a U.K jeweller wanted to sell exclusively to the Australian market they wouldn't need to go through any of this red tape. Conversely, anyone, regardless of where they are located in the world, would need to go through this red tape if they wanted to sell into the U.K market.

[china]

That is my point the system you have seems only make it difficult for UK jewellers/silversmiths/Goldsmiths etc.

[enigma]

Why do you disagree with hallmarking underweight items being offered as an optional extra?

And yes, I can see how the scheme may be useful in the scenario you describe.

China, its not just the UK its most of Europe.

[ps_bond]

All precious metal jewellery offered by Assay Assured Jewellery Retailers carries the legally-required independent hallmark verifying the precious metal content (unless the item is exempt by weight). The retailer is part of a scheme of sampling and testing by Assay Assured to ensure that jewellery exempt by weight from hallmarking is also of the claimed standard - a protection over and above legal requirements.[/I]

Except that's misleading - if I sell you something below hallmarking weight as silver, and it isn't, then I'm guilty of an offence regardless. There's no mention of sanctions within that, and it requires the retailer to agree to have the item tested.
I'm of the opinion that this is kidology - sounds good in theory, gives customers a sense of confidence, but it's misplaced. IMO, of course. FWIW I think the Fairmined system is open to abuse too.

TBH, I am surprised that people here don't seem to have heard of Assay Assured, I found it hard to miss on eBay...

Personally, I'm not in the habit of looking at jewellery on EBay. All kinds of other oddball stuff that no sane person would need, but not jewellery. The names cited by the scheme are those that I'd place in the Ratner camp - I'm not sure that being associated with them would be a good thing!

[enigma]

Totally agree Peter and I can't say that Ive ever looked at jewellery on Ebay either...

[CJ57]

I must say that I rarely look for other jewellery and especially not on eBay so hadn't come across it other than being sent it by EAO and binning it as not relevant for my work. The companies that use it sell in such vast numbers which I'm pretty sure none of us do and if that's what their customer base like...
EAO is an ancient but also privately owned business so it must be lucrative. All I'm interested in is that they are great to work with now and not the terrifying old men in brown coats I joined up to in 1979 who scared the bejesus out of me and had no respect for women in the trade which is of course another story.

[handmadeblanks]

@ps_bond: Yes, one of the membership requirements is to submit samples for regualr testing. Not sure why anyone would voluntarily pay to become a member of a scheme they intend to abuse. They could just continue breaking the current law and pay nothing. Unless of course you actually believe being an Assay Assured member does increase sales. In which case why do seem so opposed to it?

@enigma: Hallmarking is a small pecentage of a high ticket item. Any silver item weighing 7.78g or above must be Hallmarked by law, but if it weighs 7.75g then Hallmarking is offered as an optional extra...seems a bit comical.

I sell my jewellery trinkets on eBay, it helps put beans on the table for supper...I know I am not worthy of being here, but at least I don't own a Dremel.

[ps_bond]

@ps_bond: Yes, one of the membership requirements is to submit samples for regualr testing. Not sure why anyone would voluntarily pay to become a member of a scheme they intend to abuse. They could just continue breaking the current law and pay nothing. Unless of course you actually believe being an Assay Assured member does increase sales. In which case why do seem so opposed to it?

Because the people who make money out of this are the people administering the scheme and I'm sufficiently cynical to view it as nothing that gives any real consumer protection.

...but at least I don't own a Dremel.

Glad to hear it