Hull City Council Trading Standards have been given the prestigious Touchstone Award for their work to take down a £400,000 jewellery scam.
The activities of a Hull-based online trader selling large volumes of ‘gold’ chain from a home address first came to the team’s attention in 2023 when suspicions were raised about the jewellery’s authenticity.
The team investigated and, with the help of the Sheffield Assay Office, discovered that the chains were in fact made from cheap metal cut from a reel of chain and stamped with a fake hallmark. The counterfeit jewellery seized from the property would have been sold for £400,000 to customers believing they were buying genuine gold.
The Hull TS team collect their award. Left to right: Ian Mattinson, Senior Trading Standards Officer (HCC); Noel Hunter, BHC Chair; Chris Wilson, Trading Standards Manager (HCC); Cllr Charles Quinn, Portfolio Holder Trading Standards (HCC); Rachel Stephenson, Head of Public Protection (HCC); Matt Jukes, Chief Executive (HCC)
British Hallmarking Council (BHC) Chair, Noel Hunter OBE, presented the team with the award in a ceremony at London’s Guildhall on 11 October. He said: “Work like this is so important because the jewellery industry is misunderstood. It’s thought of as something elitist or the province of the rich, but the vast majority is bought by ordinary people, usually to mark special moments.
“Gold and silver is very difficult to judge for an ordinary citizen, so it’s only work like this which uncovers counterfeit items. Hallmarking is actually one of the oldest forms of consumer protection in the UK and a genuine hallmark confirms the authenticity of a piece of jewellery.
“What the team have done is hugely important, not just for customers but for the local economy. Many retailers are small companies, impacted by Brexit, covid and internet sales. It’s hard to compete and hard to export, so tackling the threat of those selling counterfeit goods is vital. I congratulate them on their important and innovative work”.
The team were also commended for their innovative work with the Natural Diamond Council to ensure retailers clearly differentiate between natural and lab-grown diamonds.
Councillor Charles Quinn, whose portfolio at Hull City Council includes Trading Standards, said: “The team have been rightly recognised for their committed and innovative work. They’ve got fantastic results and importantly, protected the public from falling victim to this scam.
“It can be very difficult for people to know what they’re buying is genuine; determining something is a fake, particularly when it includes a hallmark is really hard. This work protects customers and also reputable retailers, who may lose trade to slightly cheaper fakes.
“It’s fantastic the effort and innovation has been recognised. Much of the work teams like Trading Standards do can go unnoticed, but it’s happening every day and helping ensure goods people buy are safe and genuine”.
