An Act to amend and extend the law relating to the assaying and hallmarking of articles of precious metal; to make provision for the assaying and hallmarking in certain circumstances of articles of precious metal outside the State; and , for those purposes, to amend the Hallmarking Act 1981; and to provide for related matters.

Paladium, mixed precious metals and mixed metal articles consisting of both precious and non-precious metals

This Bill will update the Hallmarking Act 1981 by adding palladium and mixed precious metals to the list of precious metals that can be hallmarked by the Irish Assay Office, as well as providing for the possibility of off-shore marking by the Irish Assay Office in the future (if it so wishes) and increasing the penalties for offences under the Act.

Since it was previously submitted, it has been decided to make an additional provison for mixed metal articles to be subject to the requirement that both the precious and non-precious metal be marked separately, the precious metal element to be hallmarked and the non-precious metal to be clearly distinguishable by colour and be neither coated nor treated to give the appearance of a precious metal; not being used for a mechanical function for which the precious metal part of the multi-metal artice are unsuitable; and identified and marked with the following mark "METAL".