The British Hallmarking Council (BHC) has launched a UK-wide industry consultation to gather feedback from across the precious metals trade on how hallmarking operates in practice and where the Hallmarking Act might benefit from clarification or modernisation.
This follows the government’s decision to abolish the BHC, which means the Hallmarking Act 1973 will need to be amended to reflect new regulatory arrangements.
The consultation seeks opinions, insights and experiences from anyone in the UK trade who uses, is required to use, or may be affected by hallmarking.
This includes jewellery designers and makers, silversmiths, manufacturers, retailers, repairers, bullion dealers, antiques specialists, horologists, and associated service providers.
The aim of the consultation is to build a clearer picture of how hallmarking is working across the sector today and what regulatory improvements or clarifications the industry would find helpful.
The feedback gathered will help inform the BHC’s recommendations on regulatory reform to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
Areas of interest include:
practical experiences with current hallmarking processes;
efficacy of current regulations and areas where reform could be made;
how hallmarking interacts with online sales, cross-border trade and modern production methods;
views on how the system could be made clearer or more efficient;
suggestions for improving accessibility for businesses of all sizes.
A spokesperson for the BHC said: “This consultation is an important opportunity for the trade to share their experiences of how hallmarking works day-to-day. We want to ensure that the insights and ideas of those who work with precious metals are reflected when recommendations are submitted to Government later this year.”
Key dates:
Consultation opens: Tuesday, 9th December
Consultation closes: 9am, Monday 22 December
Take part:
Access the survey here: https://forms.gle/izwRYoEvvfCcB8Uz9
The trade is encouraged to share the link widely to ensure broad representation across the sector.
