So list the metals in your literature but don’t get hung up on
stamping it. And if a client asks about stamping tell them it is
intended for commodity items and what you are selling them is your
skills and labor in this beautiful piece. I have never had a problem
with a client when I describe it in this fashion. I totally agree with
you. I used to stamp everything and still stamp those things that are
totally sterling, but mixed metals pieces, I don’t stamp. I attach a
card to it explaining what it’s made with and how to care for it. “nuf said”.
just a thought on multiple stampings. it would seem the only way to
go on any multimedia piece is to list on PAPER the various different
materials. this way the customer would know what they’re buying and
the jeweler isn’t breaking any laws. to me it’s always been clear
that if you apply different material to the same piece using solder
it becomes one piece of metal. imagine melting it down into a blob
the resulting alloy would be the sum of all the parts. the use of
stamps were originallycreated by the guilds of the past to reassure
the buyer that the product was indeed sterling or gold and had a
certain monetary value beyond its use. often times a families entire
wealth was held in jewelry and plate. both were highly mobile and
easily hidden or liquidated. the assumption being if the customer
ran into finical woe they could always melt down and sell their plate
or gold. thus the stamps to assure the buyer what they were buying
was indeed what was claimed. nothing more or less. nowadays the art or
design can also account for value beyond the actual materiel value of
the piece so the stamps have lost their original meaning in these
cases. except in the mass marketed pieces where the value of the
piece is supposedly in its content i would say the salability of a
piece is customer appeal so the multiple stamps could just confuse
the issue and maybe come back and bite you in your posterior later!.
like many have already said better safe than sorry.
Talk to you later Dave Otto
Dave,
–>> just a thought on multiple stampings. it would seem the only way
to go on any multimedia piece is to list on PAPER the various
different materials. this way the customer would know what they’re
buying and <<–
This sounds like a good idea, that should satisfy the need to
identify the material unambiguously and protect both the buyer and the
seller.
I usually work in 18K gold, and I’ve got a stamp for that, but when I
mix it with platinum or silver I would never consider using the stamp.
In any case, I print out a page of describing the knot
that I’ve tied, and the alloys used, and I include a picture of the
specific piece, as well, so that there can never be any doubt as to
what is being described.
Loren
Dear Michael,
A couple of days ago, I posted a message to which you didn't reply so I'm going to pose my question again: What if I have a stamp made that signifies "with" and stamp my pieces "14k w/18k 22k" or "14k w 18k 22k"?
Wouldn't you agree that this meets the criteria of being neither confusing or misleading?
Dear Beth
My reading of the regulations are that if you mark something 18 k
that you are representing that the total amount of gold in the piece
meets that standard. The same for 22 k. There are a few exceptions
to this rule and those are found in Section 23.4 (c). I have posted a
few solutions earlier. Another is to not mark it and provide a
document that accurately describe it. I have done this myself and
several customers have decided that if the piece was not marked that
ey would not purchase an item. However, I would rather lose those
sales then to fight with them later. But without new regulations this
will continue to be a problem. Mike
e
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