Southall jeweller fined for selling gold without a hallmark

A Southall jeweller has been ordered to pay more than £7,500 in fines for selling gold without a hallmark and falsely claiming one 18-carat piece was actually 22-carat, reported My London.

Atif Waseem of Waseem Jewellers pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates Court last month to all 19 offences under the Hallmarking Act 1973 and one charge under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

According to the report, 16 gold rings, one gold pendant, and two three-piece gold pendant sets were seized by Ealing Council Trading Standards during their inspection at the outlet.

The gold was then submitted to the London Assay Office for examination and testing and they confirmed that none of the items had the legally required hallmark and one piece was in fact 18-carat, and not the 22-carat as claimed.

The Hallmarking Act 1973 states that it is an offence for a trader to display for sale non-hallmarked gold or apply the description of gold, silver, platinum or palladium to an item if the description is not true.

Waseem was fined £3,500 for the charges and ordered to pay costs of £3,882 and a victim surcharge of £181.

“This is a case where products advertised for sale were not as described, which could have misled customers into buying these items. Hallmarking gives customers confidence when buying items of jewellery and precious metals that the items they are receiving are genuine," councillor Bassam Mahfouz, portfolio holder for decent living incomes, was quoted as saying by My London. 

“Our Trading Standards team will continue to monitor, support and inspect businesses throughout the borough, ensuring a level playing field for consumers and businesses alike. Enforcement action may be taken against those that fail to comply with their legal obligations.”

Waseem’s shop was selected as part of a Trading Standards investigation into the levels of legal compliance within the jewellery industry in Ealing, the council said in a statement.