October 30, 2024
This page provides guidance to jewelers seeking information to mark mixed metals.
On this page:
- Precious metals vs non-precious metals
- Prohibited marking
- Minimum standards for quality marks
- Marking articles with no visually distinguishable parts
- Adding non-quality marks
- Articles with visually distinguishable parts
Precious metals vs non-precious metals
The Precious Metals Marking Act (PMMA) and the Precious Metals Marking Regulations (PMMR) apply to articles containing precious metals.
Precious metals
Section 2 of the PMMA defines precious metal as: “gold, palladium, platinum and silver and an alloy of any of those metals and any other metal and an alloy thereof that is designated by the Regulations as a precious metal for the purposes of this Act”.
Non-precious metals
The PMMA and PMMR do not apply to non-precious metals, such as tungsten, stainless steel, copper, and brass.
Prohibited marking
The PMMA (section 3) prohibits marking an article as a precious metal if it is not. The section states:
- Except as authorized by this Act, no dealer shall apply to an article, or bring into Canada an article that has applied to it, a mark that suggests or indicates that the article is a precious metal article.
Minimum standards for quality marks
The PMMR (section 6), sets out the minimum quality or quantity of precious metal that must be present before a quality mark can be legally applied to a precious metal article.
Marking articles with no visually distinguishable parts
If an article is made entirely of an alloy with no visually distinguishable parts:
- The manufacturer can choose to stamp the article with a quality mark.
- The mark must meet the requirements and contain only the words and symbols set out in the table in section 6 of the PMMR, for example “18K”.
- The quality mark must be distinct from any other mark that is not a quality mark.
Adding non-quality marks
A mark that is not a quality mark, for example “Tung” may be added to the article, but it must be distinct from any quality mark.
Articles with visually distinguishable parts
- If an article has visually distinguishable parts:
- section 6(2) of the PMMR states if part of the article is marked with a quality mark, the name of that part must appear immediately before or after the quality mark.
- Examples include:
- “inner band 18K”
- “18K inner band”