GJ Town India

  Time to Address Digital Jewellery Trade: UK Assay Offices    Open letter urges consultation to modernise the Hallmarking Act 1973 and strengthen consumer protection in online marketplaces!    In a unified appeal to policymakers, the four UK Assay Offices—Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Sheffield—supported by the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ), have sounded a clear warning: the UK’s hallmarking legislation is no longer fit for purpose in a rapidly evolving digital retail landscape.    Through a formal open letter, the Assay Offices underline that hallmarking remains one of the most trusted safeguards for consumers purchasing precious metal jewellery. However, they argue that the Hallmarking Act 1973, drafted long before e-commerce, social media selling and global online marketplaces became mainstream, is struggling to regulate how jewellery is bought and sold.   The letter highlights a growing regulatory gap, where sign...

Touchstone Award recognises effective enforcement of hallmarking in the UK! The NAJ has become joint sponsor of a British Hallmarking Council (BHC) Award for Trading Standards, reflecting the importance of the effective enforcement of hallmarking in the UK. The annual Touchstone Award recognises the Trading Standards team who deliver the most effective enforcement or educational initiative related to Hallmarking. The recent Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) Symposium in Brighton saw many Trading Standards Officers rewarded for their outstanding contributions to the Service and the prestigious Touchstone Award was amongst these. The award was presented by Andrew Hinds of F. Hinds, former Chair of the NAJ and a member of BHC. The impressive sterling silver award was won by Shared Regulatory Services (Cardiff, Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan) for their ongoing hallmarking enforcement projects. Their application comprised two parts: proactive visits to 21 jewe...