Hallmarking
In the United Kingdom the Hallmarking Act 1973 makes it an offence for any business, to sell or offer for sale, an unhallmarked article to which has been applied a description indicating that it is wholly or partly made of gold, silver or platinum. Dealers in precious metal must display a sign illustrating the approved hallmarks.
For more information view the hallmarking section of
The Department of Trade and
Industry website.
The
British Hallmarking Council has information
about how you can guarantee the validity of products.
Trade Descriptions Act 1968
The Trade Descriptions Act contains similar conditions
to the Hallmarking Act as it makes it an offence for anyone in
trade to wrongly describe goods or to supply or offer to supply
goods which have been wrongly described.
The trading standards team investigate complaints which reveal criminal offences under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and Hallmarking Act 1973. For general Trading Standards information visit the Trading Standards Institute website and the Office of Fair Trading website.