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Thread: Hallmarking Q. Just a little one

  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by enigma View Post
    Not something I would worry about when I buy all my bullion from Cooksons though
    I was referring to people who are allergic to non dodgy bullion lol.
    Yes, but in an earlier post you said "But if the metal isn't tested that is no guarantee of anything." and that's why you get things hallmarked. I guess what you are now saying is that buying from Cookson means the metal is guaranteed of everything except precious metal content and that is why you get everything hallmarked.

  2. #32
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    The hallmark is really just so that the customer cannot question the content.
    I have had 3 customers over the years with allergic reactions and their immediate response is to question whether Ive sold them genuine 925 silver / 375 gold and the hallmark leaves no room for question.
    If I stamped it myself it would just be my word, even though I would obviously trust Cooksons to be supplying genuine bullion the customer would only have my word.
    If its hallmarked they have the word of a government authority.

  3. #33
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    I think the other thing about all this is that there are an awful lot of people 'out there' selling stuff they claim is one thing, when clearly its another. That's also a reason why I also don't buy any silver from ebay. People are sick and tired of being lied to whether its in the jewellery industry, or elsewhere and having a hallmark is one way of ensuring the jewellery made is genuine. I also think there are a lot of people who don't understand what a hallmark is and its not '925'.
    Jules

  4. #34
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    I agree with Sarah and Jules. I wouldn’t buy anything that has to be assayed from eBay and as I have everything marked that means nothing. I only buy from trusted bullion dealers. I’ve had my mark registered with EAO since 1979 and I think it has much to do with the integrity of us as makers. I would also be really upset if I’d bought somethin* that claimed to be silver added it to a piece of work that had taken hours to make to have it either scrapped or failed at assay

  5. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Petal View Post
    I think the other thing about all this is that there are an awful lot of people 'out there' selling stuff they claim is one thing, when clearly its another. That's also a reason why I also don't buy any silver from ebay. People are sick and tired of being lied to whether its in the jewellery industry, or elsewhere and having a hallmark is one way of ensuring the jewellery made is genuine. I also think there are a lot of people who don't understand what a hallmark is and its not '925'.
    As I said earlier, jewellery can be genuine and even have a legal UK hallmark and still cause someone an allergy due to the nickel content. I don't think any jeweller can legally dismiss a customer's allergy complaint on the basis of a hallmark regardless of where the original bullion is sourced from. All it would take is for a customer to understand a little bit about what a hallmark means and the onus would be entirely on you, the jewellery manufacturer, to prove to the customer that your metal meets the EU directive on nickel content. You cannot absolve yourself of that responibility with a hallmark. Not as far as I understand the law and certainly not after speaking with the LAO.

    You can think a hallmark gets you off the hook against an allergy claim but it won't. One day you will encounter a tenacious customer with a few more brain cells than the average customer demanding a refund. Even if your metal is nickel free, unless YOU (not cooksons or whoever you bought the bullion from) but you can show due diligence you would have no option but to give them their money back, and I would say there isn't a court in the EU who would disagree with me.

  6. #36
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    But if you buy it from Cooksons or somewhere else that complies with EU standards and it is hallmarked you WILL have shown due diligence and it WILL be nickel free.

  7. #37
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    I haven’t had a single customer come back to me with a sudden allergy. I have had people tell me they are allergic to silver so they don’t buy it. I don’t see how we are responsible for someone’s allergy . All we can do is buy from a repuatable dealer so that it’s nickel free. Hallmarking is another issue completely

  8. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by handmadeblanks View Post
    You cannot absolve yourself of that responibility with a hallmark. Not as far as I understand the law and certainly not after speaking with the LAO.

    You can think a hallmark gets you off the hook against an allergy claim but it won't.
    I've already given my view on whether I decide to have an item I have made hallmarked, or not and this is NOT based on me 'getting off the hook', absolving myself against responsibility with a hallmark, or going against any 'rules'. As long as I know I am doing a good job, making sure I am careful how I make and finish my jewellery, so there are no issues with my processes and being honest with my customers, that is what's important to me.

    Like Caroline and Sarah I've had customers buy from me knowing they have allergies and we have sorted the issue out together to their satisfaction, which is what proper customer service is all about! It seems to me its a very rare thing.
    Jules

  9. #39
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    Jules, other than buying from a reputable dealer, what else can someone do to ensure the materials used are nickel free? Do you assay the metal yourself?

  10. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by Petal View Post
    I've already given my view on whether I decide to have an item I have made hallmarked, or not and this is NOT based on me 'getting off the hook', absolving myself against responsibility with a hallmark, or going against any 'rules'. As long as I know I am doing a good job, making sure I am careful how I make and finish my jewellery, so there are no issues with my processes and being honest with my customers, that is what's important to me.

    Like Caroline and Sarah I've had customers buy from me knowing they have allergies and we have sorted the issue out together to their satisfaction, which is what proper customer service is all about! It seems to me its a very rare thing.
    This may also be where selling online and selling face to face comes into play. 95% of my custom is personal and I spend a lot of time making sure that everything is right. I’m not happy to give that job over to anyone else now because I know they don’t have that consideration and selling unseen makes me anxious because I haven’t had any interaction with the buyer other than an email or phone call.
    I’m not sure how this discussion has become about us versus our customers and legal battles. That isn’t how dealing with the public works. We would never make or sell anything if we constantly worried about a woman, mostly, coming back at you because she’s had a reaction. You get what you pay for and has already been said many times that is why we buy from reputable bullion dealers.

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