2013

November 2013

Are you buying gold jewellery on Dhanteras?
Livemint
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the accreditation agency which certifies and hallmarks gold jewellery and other precious metals in India. Hence, before ...

Behind the scenes at The Birmingham Assay Office
Professional Jeweller
Behind the scenes at The Birmingham Assay Office, which carries out a range of jewellery services that include hallmarking, laser engraving, materials testing, ...

October 2013

All India Gems & Jewellery Trade Federation opposes Hallmarking ...
Equity Bulls
GJF has always supported BIS initiatives in improving the Hallmarking system in India and has made several representations to the Ministry and Director ...

Birmingham Assay Office launches hallmarking app
Professional Jeweller
The Help with Hallmarks app allows users to identify jewellery and silverware using date letters. The Birmingham Assay Office (BAO) has created a new app ...

Calls for Transparency
Diamond World Magazine
The BIS has been making large efforts to ensure hallmarking is further improved in the industry. While hallmarking, or other alternative means to achieve ...

September hallmarking promising start to Xmas
Professional Jeweller
All hallmarking sectors showed growth in September in what the Birmingham Assay Office described as "a promising start to the peak trading ...

September 2013

Safeguarding the city's reputation for quality jewellery
Birmingham Mail
The crackdown has been such a success that Trading Standards won the first ever Touchstone Award from the British Hallmarking Council in recognition for its ...

August silver hallmarking falls after buoyant July
Professional Jeweller
Hallmarking across the four UK Assay Offices fell 3% in August, according to the latest figures from the Birmingham Assay Office. In total, 706,763 items were ...

July 2013

Fake hallmarking units flourishing in India: BIS
Times of India
Hallmarks as official marks have been in use as a guarantee for the purity of gold and silver. However, some recent raids conducted by BIS have underlined the ...

June 2013

North Ayrshire Council scoops Touchstone award
Professional Jeweller
The award praises the work of local authorities with a view to hallmarking and is sponsored by the four UK Assay Offices and the British Hallmarking Council ...

Check Hallmarking Logo While Purchasing Gold Ornaments
AEG India
While purchasing gold ornaments, consumers must check if there is hallmarking center logo, trader logo or BSI logo is there on the gold ornament or not.

May 2013

Three amendments made to Hallmarking Act
Professional Jeweller
By Kathryn Bishop Three amendments have been made to the Hallmarking Act including an update to the regulations surrounding sponsor's marks and platinum ...

Gross palladium demand falls; UK hallmarking up
Professional Jeweller
By Kathryn Bishop Palladium and diamond earrings by Lara Bohinc, created as part of a project with the International Palladium Board in 2012.

Hallmarked platinum watch cases soar by 14%
WatchPro.com
By Kate Doherty The hallmarking of platinum watch cases in Switzerland rose by 5% in 2012 compared to the previous year, according to Johnson Matthey's ...

April 2013

Buying gold? Look for these 5 marks first
Times of India
The hallmarking centre imprints this on the jewellery In India, 200 hallmarking centres have been opened. They have to etch their respective logo along with ...

Hockley Mint to open in-house hallmarking office
Professional Jeweller
The company will open a hallmarking sub-office in house to make its working process more efficient. Hockley Mint has announced plans to open an in-house ...

February 2013

The Goldsmiths' Company - Hallmarking Information Seminar
Get up-to-date with the latest hallmarking legislation or introduce new staff to the world of hallmarking. New dates confirmed for 2013: Monday 15 April & Monday ...

January 2013

Not going for gold: hallmarking figures plummet 25% in December
If you want some other metrics by which to try and judge how the economy is doing, how about precious metal hallmarking?

2012

December 2012

International tension, tea and tradition
Professional Jeweller
By Michael Allchin Tuesday and Wednesday saw a lively meeting of the 19 Hallmarking Convention countries and the International Association of Assay Offices ...

Switzerland's use of Convention hallmarks up 50%
WatchPro.com
By Rachael Taylor The 19 Hallmarking Convention countries and the International Association of Assay Offices met in Geneva last week.

India mandates hallmarking – what about Australia?
Jeweller Magazine
By approving amendments to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986, the Cabinet endorsed compulsory hallmarking of gold jewellery products.

November 2012

Television cameras where whirring at The Birmingham Assay Office ...
Hallmarking is clearly a hot topic as just a few days later 20 Trading Standards ... The course included the history of Hallmarking and current legislation, a hands ...

The rise of the jewellery voyeur
Professional Jeweller
Craig Heatly reports on the Trend for jewellery voyeurs, from those who want to get up close and personal with hallmarking to the hoards catching sneaky ...

Hallmarking losing glitter in Kerala?
The Hindu
Retail jewellers across the State are demanding a revamp of the hallmarking norms, saying that only they are held responsible for impurities found in ...

October 2012

Assay Office London to host hallmarking course
Professional Jeweller
The course will cover the Hallmarking Act and legal requirements, the identification of genuine UK hallmarks, counterfeit, faked and forged hallmarks, ...

September 2012

How Assay Assured is helping retail fight fakes
Professional Jeweller
Jewellery retailers are free to explain hallmarking terms online through their ... While Walter says hallmarking explanations can give a customer insight, ...

Platinum and palladium shine in August hallmarking
Professional Jeweller
By Rachael Taylor The UK hallmarking figures are compiled from data from the four UK assay offices including the Edinburgh Assay Office.

August 2012

London Assay Office to hold hallmarking seminar
Professional Jeweller
By Deepa Narwani The Goldsmiths Company Assay Office is set to hold a Hallmarking Information Seminar in October, scheduled to take place at the Goldsmiths' ...

July 2012

Check Hallmark before buying gold
Hindu Business Line
The list of hallmarking centres with their symbols can be found on the Web site of the BIS. ... The procedure for silver hallmarking mirrors that of gold, ...

Legislative changes made in Irish Hallmarking
Professional Jeweller
From July 1 new changes to Irish Hallmarking regulations now mean that it is an offence to sell precious metal articles without displaying a new Dealers ...

June 2012

Birmingham Wins Touchstone Award for Hallmarking Initiatives
Rapaport
The Birmingham city council in the UK was given the first ''Touchstone Award'' presented by the British Hallmarking Council in recognition for its ...

Stamping out unhallmarked Asian jewellery sales
Professional Jeweller
By Rachael Taylor Hallmarking crackdowns by Trading Standards have not just been felt in London but have been taking place all over the country.

May hallmarking shows optimistic 7.6% increase
Professional Jeweller
May's hallmarking figures for the four UK Assay Offices has revealed a continued upturn in the number of items being hallmarked, after many months of ...

London Assay Office launches private hallmarking
Professional Jeweller
By Rachael Taylor The London Assay Office has launched a new private hallmarking service that will allow jewellery designers to take customers to the ...

A Digital Hallmark for Online Jewellery Shoppers
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Edinburgh Assay Office launch the world's first digital hallmark for jewellery. ... It is a legal requirement that all gold, silver, platinum and palladium jewellery sold ...

Ancient and modern: Edinburgh Assay Office goes online
Scotsman
EDINBURGH Assay Office, which has been stamping hallmarks on to jewellery ... Online retailers including Clogau Gold, Links of London, Monica Vinader and ...

May 2012

Platinum hallmarking figures increase by 6.8%
Platinum Guild
Hallmarking enjoyed one of its most positive months in recent times with the total...

Jewellers fined in UK's largest hallmarking seize
Professional Jeweller
... Mahalingham have been ordered to pay fines of more than £9800 after admitting to violating the Hallmarking Act 1973 at Richmond Magistrates Court.

Birmingham Hosts Standards & Security Seminar for Local Trade
Rapaport
Michael Allchin, the assay master at the Birmingham Assay Office, highlighted the legal requirements for the correct hallmarking of gold jewelry, ...

The new gold jewellery consumer
Professional Jeweller
Similarly, gold hallmarking in the UK fell each month in 2011, with a total of 4.4 ... 18ct gold hallmarking fell 13.2%, while 22ct gold fell by 4.7%.

CIBJO releases Special Report of the Precious Metals Commission
Diamond World Magazine
The issues he noted include "international conventions on hallmarking, chain of custody issues through the distribution pipeline, amendments to precious ...

April 2012

Birmingham Seminar to Focus on Security, Hallmarking
Rapaport
... work is underway to present a seminar on April 30 in Birmingham, UK, to discussion issues of security, hallmarking and trading in second-hand jewelry.

Hallmarking History: The Duty Mark and Your Jewellery | Harriet ...
Hallmarks have developed and changed over time and can be a fascinating tell tale sign of the unique history a piece of jewellery has. This article takes a look at ...

Retailers warned to be vigilant over bonded gold
Professional Jeweller
Bonded gold items can be marked 925 if they have a sterling silver core. If the gold covers base metal the piece is not allowed to bear any hallmarks. The British Hallmarking Council (BHC) has banned gold marking on items of bonded ...

One week left to enter British hallmarking award
Professional Jeweller
The Touchstone Award will be given to companies or individuals who have helped enforce hallmarking standards. The Birmingham Assay Office ...

March 2012

Jewitt to head British Hallmarking Council
The Star
PAST Master Cutler Christopher Jewitt has been appointed chairman of the British Hallmarking Council, the body which governs the activities of the UK's four ...

February 2012

Gold hallmarking fraud: Jewellers 'liable''
Indian Express
Amid mounting instances of "hallmarked" gold jewellery fraud, the Indian Association of Hallmarking Centres (IAHC) today suggested that the government hold ...

Over 9000 gold hallmarking licenses issued
Deccan Herald
The government today said it has so far issued over 9000 gold hallmarking licences across the country to protect consumers from unscrupulous jewellers.

January 2012

Hallmark decision, say TN gold-lovers
Deccan Chronicle
With the government passing a law that every piece of gold jewellery sold has to carry hallmarks, buyers need not worry any longer about ...

THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE IS THE FIRST ASSAY OFFICE TO BE ...
DiamondNe.ws
A comprehensive audit covered The Assay Office's diverse range of services, which extend far beyond its core business of assaying and hallmarking...

BIS Issues 9005 Licenses for Hallmarking of Gold
Diamonds.net
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued 9005 licenses through December 31, 2011, for the hallmarking of gold jewelry. BIS is encouraging a ...

Purchasers are offered jewelleries not meeting standards in Moskva ...
APA
Piriyev also noted that, these facts, such as offering of unstamped gold, ... It was revealed that, 34% of hallmarks were below the hallmarks on the ...

2011

December 2011

Hallmarking drops by 37.5% in dismal November
Professional Jeweller
Only palladium 500 and Brittannia silver showed increases in hallmarking figures last month compared to November 2010. ...

Oman, Iraq explore new vistas in relations
Oman Daily Observer
He pointed out that the Omani side presented an executive programme for mutual recognition on precious metals hallmarking, co-operation in standardisation ...

Determination of precious metal content in jewellery hallmarking
Platinum today
Accurate determination is also crucial for fineness determination for the hallmarking of precious metals for jewellery. The precision and accuracy of the ...

No hallmarking centre for silver upsets jewellers
Times of India
CHANDIGARH: Silver is always more in demand as the cheaper cousin of gold, but still has not found itself a hallmarking centre in the northern region of the ...

November 2011

World Gold Council: UK demand falls 15% in Q3
Professional Jeweller
Hallmarking figures in the UK has shown declines across all carat standards with the exception of 24ct gold. In the context of the present conditions,...

Gold: Power and Allure - A major landmark exhibition
Response Source
In 1478 the London Assay Office was established at Goldsmiths' Hall and the story of the hallmarks on gold is told via a succinct collection of objects and...

Free valuation of your jewels
The Star
THE soaring value of precious metals has prompted the city's 238-year-old hallmarking office to launch a public valuation service.

October 2011

Govt to take a call on mandatory gold hallmarking in 3 months ...
Firstpost
The Bill has been hanging fire due to inter-ministerial differences on the issue of outsourcing the BIS's licencing job to private players.

September 2011

BIS kickstarts awareness week in Maharashtra
IBNLive.com
"As hallmarking is a voluntary act, we want to make people aware in order to protect themselves from buying impure and low quality jewelleries," BIS ...

Birmingham Assay office to show off their Silver Collection
Birmingham Mail
Staff will also be giving talks on the history of hallmarking and the office in general. Visitors will receive refreshments before the visit, and the chance ...

Go behind the scenes at Birmingham Assay Office
Professional Jeweller
Visitors will be able to see the silver collection, the library, and to hear about the history of hallmarking and the Birmingham Assay Office. ...

Campaign launches to get 20ct hallmark for 2020
Professional Jeweller
If this were to happen without the creation of a UK 20ct hallmark the gold would be stamped 18ct, thus largely defeating the object of the 2020 marketing ...

Goldsmiths struggle in soaring market for precious metals
The Guardian
"One of the hallmarks of the deepest crises of the past 40 years has been a short, sharp retrenchment in the gold price as investors liquidated investments en masse to cover losses in other markets," said Derrick. "We have struggled with the recent ...

August 2011

UK 'Red Tape Challenge' Ends in Support of Hallmarking Scheme
Diamonds.net
The Birmingham Assay Office announced that hallmarking in the UK is no longer under political threat following the results of a "Red Tape Challenge" that demonstrated retailers, manufacturers, designers and consumers alike see hallmarking as a vital ...

Platinum hallmarking unchanged, palladium up
Platinum today
Total hallmarking in the UK fell by almost a quarter (23.9 per cent) in July from a year ago, according to data from the UK's four Assay Offices. Despite this drop, platinum hallmarking was unchanged while the number of palladium items hallmarked ...