Precious Metals

---

Articles of precious metals     

An article of precious metals means every item from gold, silver or platinum alloy with minimum determinate amount of precious metal in the alloy according to the Law. Every article of precious metals (jewellery, coin, candleholder, eyeglass, etc.), which are on the market in Macedonia must be marked with:

• •     For the article made in Macedonia more than 1 g (3 marks):

1. 1.     Fineness mark is indicate like combination of three numbers which are the mass fraction of precious metal in the alloy (ex.585 means 585 parts per thousands precious metal in the wholeness alloy used for production of article).
   2.     Manufacturer’s mark is combination of two letters and three numbers in the frame of rectangle per example:АБ123
   3.     National hallmark presents mark which is confirmation of fineness mark (picture of the hallmark forms is gave bellow).

 

• •     For the articles made in Macedonia up to 1 g (2 marks):

1. 1.     Fineness mark
   2.     National hallmark

 

• •     For the imported articles – foreign origin (2 or 3 marks):

1. 1.     Fineness mark
   2.     National hallmark
   3.     Non-obligatory – manufacturer’s mark which can be punch on the article, but it’s not compulsorily. The form of this mark can be different from the Macedonian manufacturer’s mark.

 

Shapes of hallmarking seals for precious metals control

National hallmark guarantee the quality of precious metals articles, and before buying, the customer should check, is the article hallmarked, just to be sure that the article is brought in the Bureau of metrology for control. The sailor has obligation to keep the picture with the forms of hallmarks on the wall of the shop and to give the customer magnifier for seeing better the marks on the article.

Analyzing, marking and control of precious metals articles in Macedonia is obligation of the Department for control of articles of precious metals in the Bureau of metrology.

According to the Law of Metrology (Official Gazette of R.M. No.52/02 ) and Law on control of articles of precious metal (Official Gazette of R.M. No.23/95 and 22/07 ), Department for control of articles of precious metals functions as a national institution responsible for systematical management of the precious metals field.
The aim of department is to provide realization of the Law and other regulations for control of the precious metal articles, in means:

• •     proposes and participates in the changes and complements of Law on control of the precious metal articles and other regulations in this field
  •     carries out for properly utilization of Law and other regulations, through informing the manufacturers, importers and persons who sell the precious metal articles,  for existing the regulations and department’s facilities in the field of precious metals  
  •     testing  of fineness and marking of the precious metal articles
  •     analysis of precious metal alloys
  •     control and inspection of the manufacturers and other who sell the precious metal articles
  •     keep records  for manufacturer’s mark
  •     make expertise in the field of the precious metals for state institutions

 

Laboratory for testing, marking and chemical analysis of the precious metals functions in department for control the precious metal articles.
The laboratory is equipped for rapid testing of the precious metal articles and quantitative chemical analyses according to ISO standards:

• •     Quantitative chemical analyses of gold with cupellation method (fire assay)  –  ISO 11426
  •     Quantitative chemical analyses of silver with volumetric method, Gay-Lussac or Volhard titration
  •     Quantitative chemical analyses of platinium with gravimetric method

 

The department for control of the precious metal articles takes activities focused on achieving international membership in the field of the precious metal articles, like:

• •     IAAO – International Association of Assay Offices, where the Bureau of Metrology becomes fully entitled member in 2009 as well as
  •     Hallmarking Convention (Vienna Convention).

 

National Legislation

• •     Law on control of articles of precious metals (Official Gazette of RM No.23/95 and 22/07)
  •     Rulebook for the form of the manufacturers mark (Official Gazette of RM No.89/07)
  •     Rulebook for the manner of the analysis and marking of articles of precious metals (Official Gazette of RM No.124/07)
  •     Rulebook for the method of qualifies and marks the fineness of precious metals articles (Official Gazette of RM No.124/07)
  •     Rulebook for the template of: Application form for mark of manufacturer of precious metals articles, Confirmation for the manufacturers mark, Registry for manufacturers mark and the manner of managing of the Registry (Official Gazette of RM No.78/07)
  •     Rulebook for the template of the identity card of the authorize employees for supervision of articles of precious metals, and the manner of notification of the identity card (Official Gazette of RM No.76/07)
  •     Rulebook for the technical conditions which should permeate the articles of precious metals (Official Gazette of RM No.75/07)
  •     Rulebook for the technical conditions which the manufacturer of articles of precious metals should fulfill (Official Gazette of RM No.76/07)
  •     Rulebook for the conditions of analysis and marking the articles of precious metals outside of the Bureau of metrology (Official Gazette of RM No.124/07)
  •     Decree for the compensation of the expenses for analysis and marking the articles of precious metals (Official Gazette of RM No.126/07)