The “handmade vs machine-made” controversy regarding wax modeling
and casting is going on again on another thread.
I’ve made my choice - which is to call any one-of-a-kind casting
that is produced from a hand carved wax - handmade. If the wax is
made on a mill, lathe, or reproduced in a rubber mold - it is no
longer handmade. This is my opinion, and if the government thinks
otherwise, I am willing to spend some time and a bit of money trying
to prove my point to them. Y’all can make your own choices, and
that’s not the point of this post.
The FTC has a lot of very vague and antiquated
standards/regulations/laws - However, other than the karat content
in the products of large manufacturers - I have never seen nor heard
of them enforcing a mislabeled “Handmade” or a missing or
unregistered hallmark on ANY jewelry made in small studio shops. This
has been my experience in 38 years in the trade.
Here is what I want to know. Has ANYONE ever seen a Fed walking
through a craft show or even a trade show, snatching samples to
analyze or checking to see if they are properly marked/hallmarked?
Invading private studios to check these things? Contacting you and
questioning you on your product?
All I’ve ever seen are the Weights and Measures from local
government, and they are only checking to see if the scales you are
using have been tested and sealed…
Here is what I want to know. Has ANYONE ever seen a Fed walking
through a craft show or even a trade show, snatching samples to
analyze or checking to see if they are properly marked/hallmarked?
Invading private studios to check these things? Contacting you and
questioning you on your product?
Although I haven’t seen a Fed walking through, I have done the
walkthrough (along with other Board members) for a few tradeshows
that required items to be handmade only. I have personally pulled
items from the show, and know of other people who also pulled items
from sale because they did not meet the strict definition as
established by the specific group. So it can, and does happen, just
not very frequently.
BBR - Sandi Graves, Beadin’ Up A Storm
Stormcloud Trading Co
Has ANYONE ever seen a Fed walking through a craft show or even a
trade show, snatching samples to analyze or checking to see if
they are properly marked/hallmarked?
YES!!! Not a trade show, but a chain dealer who was essentially a
crook - making 9 and 10 karat chains and stamping them (after
plating) 18kt. Put them out of business, thankfully…
To further this, a Toronto wholesaler was casting rings in 12KT.
Until someone did a metallurgy test and saw the major problem. Many
of
the stores he sold to were stuck with his jewellery (sic). All of a
sudden, he wondered why no one was buying from him. He closed down
his business. Selling without a trademark and a karat stamp is a
Canadian and a RCMP offense. No messing around with the Canadian
Gov’t Laws and Ottawa guys. Also…I once worked with a fellow who
cast all of his jewellery in 14 1/4 karat just in case of an error in
the alloy mix. He never lost money for the extra 1/4 Kt., but kept
his customers happy and secure. These days you can’t be too
careful…!
Here is what I want to know. Has ANYONE ever seen a Fed walking
through a craft show or even a trade show, snatching samples to
analyze or checking to see if they are properly marked/hallmarked?
Invading private studios to check these things? Contacting you and
questioning you on your product?
That’s not something the Feds, or the FTC does. What they do is
accept complaints from industry officials & members, and the public.
When enough relevant complaints have been made, the FTC can and will
bring an action against whoever the complaint(s) is/are about. Not
long ago, an action was brought against Zales, which you can read
about on the ftc.gov site if anyone wants to read about it. I’ve
posted it here in the past, but many people here don’t seem to care
much about observing the Guides. At least, that’s what I’ve been
reading here lately.
Do as you will, no Fed will come knocking on your door or visiting
your booth. But mislead enough people, then see what happens.
Gerald, The USA is also looking for the correct karating of gold
jewelry, a friend of mine decided to expand from this very lucrative
wholesale gold chain business to manufacturing rings, I believe. I
don’t know if the casters he subcontracted to were inexperienced or
ripping him off, but his jewelry was traced back to him through his
registered Trademark. Legally you cannot karat stamp without an
identifying registered trademark. This is big business, concerning
alot of wholesale inventory. After a customer assayed his products
and reported the issue to the proper authorities he was put into the
position of buying back all the inventory. Now he is back to going
with what he knows, and is one of the largest wholesalers of chain,
at lease in Boston and possibly in New England. I’m not sure they
will really come after a studio artist.
Gerald is very correct, I was crossing the border into Vancouver,
and was asked my occupation and reason for intering Canada. I told
them I was just visiting, and my occupation was a goldsmith. Bam,
please step over here, luggage searched, frisked, and I believe
their may be a tariff or something for importing to Canada.
I was crossing the border into Vancouver, and was asked my
occupation and reason for intering Canada. I told them I was just
visiting, and my occupation was a goldsmith. Bam, please step over
here, luggage searched, frisked, and I believe their may be a
tariff or something for importing to Canada
Why cause ‘flags’ to be raised? Just say that you are
“self-employed, metal-smith”. Still you are saying the truth and you
are still with in your
right profession. We all are “metal-smiths”, aren’t we? The words
gold-diamonds-jewellery throws you in to the search NOW…category.
So just tell them what they want to hear…Do you always feed the
sharks?..