Hallmarking Act 1973

4 An article comprised of two or more precious metals shall be hallmarked only if—

(1) it is of a description specified in one or other of the following sub-paragraphs; and

(2) it complies with paragraph 5 of this Schedule,

and shall be hallmarked only in the manner specified for an article of that description—

(a) where gold parts exceed 50 per cent. by weight of a whole article, which also contains platinum but not silver parts, the gold parts shall be hallmarked as if they comprised a separate article;

(b) where silver parts exceed 50 per cent. by weight of a whole article which also contains gold or platinum parts or both such parts, the silver parts shall be hallmarked as if they comprised a separate article;

[F1 (bb) where platinum parts exceed 50 per cent. by weight of a whole article, which also contains gold parts of a standard of fineness not less than 750 and where the gold parts are clearly distinguishable in colour from the platinum parts, the platinum parts shall be hallmarked as if they comprised a separate article and the gold parts shall, if it is practicable to strike a mark, be struck with the standard mark for gold only;]

(c) where any small working parts (which for technical reasons cannot be made of the same standard of fineness or of the same precious metal as the remainder of the article) form part of an article of which the remainder is of a higher standard of fineness or of a more precious metal, the part which is of the higher standard of fineness or (as the case may be) of the more precious metal shall be hallmarked as if it comprised a separate article and the parts which are of the lower standard of fineness or of the less precious metal [F2 shall, if it is practicable to strike a mark, be struck with the standard mark only ]for the metal of which those parts are made.

For the purposes of this sub-paragraph platinum shall be deemed more precious than gold or silver and gold be deemed more precious than silver; and “more precious” and “less precious” shall be construed accordingly;

(d) where any article of silver is coated in whole or in part with gold, the article shall be hallmarked as if it were comprised only of silver; and

(e) where any article of gold, silver or platinum is coated in whole or in part with rhodium, the article shall be hallmarked as if it were comprised only of gold, silver or platinum (as the case may be);

and in relation to any article of the description of sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) of this paragraph the precious metal of the part of the article which is not (in terms of sub-paragraph (a)) of gold or not (in terms of sub-paragraph (b)) of silver may, at the discretion of the assay office, be marked only with the standard mark.

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 2 para. 4(bb) inserted by S.I. 1986/1757, reg. 3(a)

F2 Words substituted by S.I. 1986/1757, reg. 3(b)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Sch. 2 Pt. II para. 4 modified by S.I. 1976/730, arts. 5, 6 (which S.I. was revoked (1.4.2002) by S.I. 2002/506, art. 1(2))

C2 Sch. 2 Pt. II para. 4 modified (1.4.2002) by The Hallmarking (International Convention) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/506), arts. 5(2)(f), 6