The four UK Assay Offices — Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Sheffield — have issued a joint open letter to Members of Parliament calling for urgent reform of the Hallmarking Act 1973, warning that the legislation is no longer fit for purpose in today’s digital retail environment. The letter is fully supported by the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ).
Hallmarking remains a cornerstone of consumer protection, providing independent assurance of precious metal quality and safeguarding public trust in jewellery and silverware. However, the Assay Offices highlight that the current legal framework predates e-commerce and fails to adequately regulate online marketplaces, social commerce, livestream selling and influencer-led sales models.
The open letter sets out growing concerns from regulators across government about significant volumes of non-compliant and unhallmarked precious metal goods being sold online to UK consumers, often at scale. At the same time, unclear legal accountability for marketplace operators is limiting effective enforcement, creating an uneven playing field for compliant UK jewellers and manufacturers.
In response, the Assay Offices are calling for a formal consultation on targeted amendments to the Hallmarking Act 1973. Key proposals include modernising statutory definitions to reflect digital trading, extending liability to online marketplace operators, clarifying that digital listings constitute an “offer to sell”, and enabling more effective digital enforcement powers for Assay Offices and Trading Standards.
The letter stresses that reform is essential not only to protect consumers from misrepresentation and financial loss, but also to support fair competition and align hallmarking legislation with wider government action on online platform accountability.
The UK Assay Offices and the NAJ are urging MPs to champion a review of the Act and to support legislative reform that ensures hallmarking remains effective, enforceable and relevant in a digital economy. They have also offered to engage constructively with policymakers to provide practical insight from both a regulatory and industry perspective.
