Hello everyone,
I am wondering if it is dishonest to stamp a piece as a lower purity than it actually is, and whether or not you could still describe it as the real purity. Let me explain what I mean.
Say I make a piece from fine silver, I need to solder some the joints rather than fuse them. The purity drops below the tolerance of 6 parts per thousand and I stamp it .925 despite it being constructed from .999 silver. Then I explain to the customer that it is .999 silver that is soldered. Would I be allowed to describe it as fine silver even if I am legally required to call it sterling?
If I don’t tell them that it’s fine silver and they go about thinking it’s sterling would it be dishonest because fine silver is softer despite the fact I’ve just sold them a higher purity metal?
Interested in hearing your thoughts…
This is how assay office works. In order to mark piece, its precious metal content can not be lower than certain point. It has to be exactly or higher.
If you bring 583 for assay it will not be marked 585(14K) but as 500 which is next lower point for gold in my country. Of course it depends on the person who is doing the assay but that is different story.
Same thing if you make something with “exotic” purity/alloy/etc. It will be marked as next lower or “not precious metal”.
That’s good. Do you feel it is dishonest because the customer might think they have sterling buts it’s fine silver and so softer?
Most consumers don’t know assay rules and would appreciate the explanation accompanying your accurately stamped item. I certainly was disappointed with my first pair of fine silver Tuareg earrings, not having understood before buying that they would easily deform with use.
So I can stamp it accurately as .925, and simply explain to them that it is soldered fine silver? Brilliant! Thank you.
Let me backtrack and say, I’m in my first year of studies in bijouterie joaillerie, so that’s my personal opinion rather than a professional one 
but I’d be shocked to hear that you got in trouble for stamping accurately and being transparent with your clients at the same time!