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Thread: Stainless or Plated

  1. #1
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    Default Stainless or Plated

    I have moved to France, regulations are very different re precious metals here and for now I have taken the decision to concentrate on my lampwork and drop the silver work. So, I still need something legal to make my pieces up with my beads. Choice is either stainless steel or silver plate. I have always shied away from plated metal so I was going ahead with an order for stainless findings. Some ladies I spoke to seemed surprised as they felt plated metal was somehow more desirable. So I'm hoping all you experienced people might give me an honest opinion. Thank you

  2. #2
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    Both those options will mar your working life. I Suggest you buy your precious metals from Cookson and have the resulting work hallmarked in the UK.
    From what I have read here that is what others have opted for.

    If you are just using silver wire and findings, they are not that expensive and you can call them silver plated, if you prefer.

    I have also used Crimp'n'Go cables to good effect for necklaces, but substituted my own faseners. http://beadservice.net/epages/c1cd2b...fee8b6636445f4 Dennis.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis View Post
    Both those options will mar your working life. I Suggest you buy your precious metals from Cookson and have the resulting work hallmarked in the UK.
    From what I have read here that is what others have opted for.

    If you are just using silver wire and findings, they are not that expensive and you can call them silver plated, if you prefer.

    I have also used Crimp'n'Go cables to good effect for necklaces, but substituted my own faseners. http://beadservice.net/epages/c1cd2b...fee8b6636445f4 Dennis.
    I make wire findings and small items all too low in weight for hallmarking these days. I had considered just calling them plated, thank you I think I will go with that. I have a huge stock of sterling silver bought before I understood the regulations in France.

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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by enigma View Post
    Are you selling within France or outside?
    I sell online mainly UK and US but will also do some artisan fairs in France

  6. #6
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    For the items you sell outside of France you only need to comply with those countries regulations I think.
    So for the UK, silver under 7.87 grammes doesn't need to be hallmarked and for the US there is no hallmark.
    Obviously anything you sell inside France has to comply with French regulations on hallmarking.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by enigma View Post
    For the items you sell outside of France you only need to comply with those countries regulations I think.
    So for the UK, silver under 7.87 grammes doesn't need to be hallmarked and for the US there is no hallmark.
    Obviously anything you sell inside France has to comply with French regulations on hallmarking.
    Thank you, I never even considered that just so wound up with the French regs! I can exclude France from my online sales where everything will be called sterling and I will call the same items plated when selling face to face or in galleries in France. So glad I asked before I ordered a bucket load of findings I probably would be embarrassed to use

  8. #8
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    Did you get far on figuring out what you need to do to sell in France yet?
    I read that the UK has one of the most stringent hallmarking systems in the EU and a UK hallmark is accepted universally.
    However in Portugal silver over 1 gramme has to be hallmarked so there are obviously other regs that need taking into account for whatever country you are in.
    I just avoided them by selling out of the country.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by enigma View Post
    Did you get far on figuring out what you need to do to sell in France yet?
    I read that the UK has one of the most stringent hallmarking systems in the EU and a UK hallmark is accepted universally.
    However in Portugal silver over 1 gramme has to be hallmarked so there are obviously other regs that need taking into account for whatever country you are in.
    I just avoided them by selling out of the country.
    So far as I understand it and I may not have got it right yet - all silver needs to have a guarantee stamp showing 925 and makers mark. That's ok by itself but there is a tax too which I have been led to believe is 10% of the full value of the item sold. I sell mainly my lampwork glass with a sterling jumpring and clasp so 10% tax would be far more than the full value of the silver used! On top of that every single item sold needs to be recorded. If I add this 10% tax to the 13% of my turnover (not profit) that I pay in social contributions it sort of prices me a bit too high. I have not yet figured out what I would need to do with the findings I sell as the reseller would need to stamp I guess I might not need to but I don't know. There are also regulations regarding the property that the precious metal is worked in, cant be accessed via the dwelling house and I stopped reading then! Guess it will be called plated when I sell in France and Sterling everywhere else!

  10. #10
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    Lol! sounds very typical of France!
    Im not sure, but I think the regulations on where its made are to do with your house insurance and risk of fire/theft.

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