Hallmarking requirements from 1 January 2021
How UK jewellery importers and exporters will be affected from 2021.
Brexit transition: new rules for 2021
The UK has left the EU. This page tells you the new rules from 1 January 2021.
It will be updated if there’s new information about the UK’s deal with the EU that affects what you need to do.
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For current information, read: British Hallmarking Council guidance
Recognition of hallmarks
From 1 January 2021, obligations to recognise equivalent EU hallmarks will end in Great Britain. For the Northern Ireland market EU hallmarks will continue to be recognised, by virtue of section 7A of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 which gives the Withdrawal Agreement direct effect in UK law.
Any product already on the market before January 2021 will be legal, also by virtue of the mechanism described above. Any new stock entering the GB market will require a UK hallmark or Common Control Mark (see below). Any new stock exported to EU members will require a mark recognised by those countries.
Common Control Mark
The Common Control Mark (CCM) applied by signatories to the Vienna Convention on the Control of Precious Metal Articles will continue to be recognised in the UK and by Convention members Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland. Serbia and Italy are in the process of ratifying the treaty.
You can apply a CCM mark to your goods now with no impact on your current import or export requirements. The CCM mark can be applied to new articles along with UK Assay Office marks or as an addition to articles already bearing UK hallmarks.
From January 2021, if you are importing from a convention member, you can request a convention mark on your goods or you can submit them to a UK Assay Office for hallmarking.
Exemption weights
The UK exemption weights of 7.78 grams for silver, 1 gram for gold/palladium and 0.5 grams for platinum may not apply in other countries. For example, in the Republic of Ireland there are no exemption weights so any stock destined for the Republic of Ireland must bear a CCM. Exemption weights for the other signatory states are available from your UK Assay Office.
Other EU members
Luxembourg and Germany do not require any hallmark as a pre-market authorisation.
In France a hallmark is a legal requirement. Importers must register with the bureaux de garantie.
In Spain a hallmark is a legal requirement. Importers must register with an assay office in Spain. Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism.
There are legal requirements regarding hallmarking in Belgium. See the Federal Ministry of Finance’s factsheet (PDF).
Customs arrangements
This guidance is about hallmarks only. There is separate guidance on customs arrangements.
Last updated 23 December 2020 + show all updates