Jewellers' group takes steps to ensure purity of gold not misstated
Stung by the news that three of its members were selling gold jewellery that was less pure than claimed, the Singapore Jewellers Association is taking action.
For starters, association president Ho Nai Chuen said it has set up a hotline on 6533-4053 for the public to call if they require assistance in getting a refund from association members whose 24k or 22k gold does not meet fineness standards.
The initiative comes in reaction to a recent survey by the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), which found that gold pieces from five jewellers failed the purity test.
Three of the jewellers - Chan Foon Jade & Jewellery, Boon Lay Goldsmiths & Jewellers and Teng Huat Jewellery - are members of the association.
The body, the only one for the jewellery trade which is worth over $1 billion, has 155 members with about 335 outlets across the island.
There are about 500 jewellery outlets in Singapore and Mr Ho estimated that 100 of them have a substantial gold jewellery inventory.
He also said that its disciplinary sub-committee is giving the three members a chance to look into their inventory to ascertain if there are any problems with their stock.
Members can be blacklisted or kicked out of the association for flouting the rules, although this has not been done before.
'We are counselling the three members involved and telling them to send large batches of their inventory to the Singapore Assay Office for strict testing,' said MrHo.
'We have also reminded them not to trust their suppliers blindly and to check their stock. It is most important that consumer confidence is kept intact,' he added.
The association is looking into getting a special X-ray device in its office that can give members an analysis of an item's gold content in minutes.
This will help jewellers overcome the backlog at the Singapore Assay Office, which is now testing every piece instead of just a sample of items sent to it, following Case's actions.
Said chief assayer Ng Siew Hua: 'I usually test a sample of three or four out of every hundred. Now I'm very careful to test every single piece.'
Association members that The Sunday Times spoke to pinned the problem of impure gold on their suppliers.
'I've had the same supplier for 30 years so I trust him like a friend...I'm now very scared, so I will get every piece that I can checked,' said Mr Wan Yu Shu, 59, owner of Chan Foon Jade & Jewellery.
Gold buyers such as housewife Luzviminda Vancapelle, 37, feel that the new moves are good for boosting consumer confidence.
She said: 'The new checks are a very good idea because I don't really check the jewellery myself.
'It's good that I can trust the association to check for me. I will look out for the sticker when I shop now.'
Interesting pictorial book.. but at this point of time, I shall not think of whether to get a Montblanc watch, lest I end up with dropping/faulty parts again!
A missing sapphire, the setting of the blue sapphire on the clip of the pen appears to have been merely pasted on.
Tips for consumers
• Ensure the jewellery is weighed in your presence and without the price tag. Ask for a detailed breakdown on the receipt, which should show the unit price per gram, gold purity and net weight of the gold item.
• You can also send the jewellery to the SAO for testing. Each item will cost $2.40 for an x-ray test, which does not damage the item. Simple pass/fail results can be obtained in an hour, while a fuller report of the actual content of gold and alloy used takes a day.
• If an item fails the test, lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, under the Consumer Proctection (Trade Description and Safety Requirements) Act. Consumers who are overcharged can approach Spring Singapore under the Weights and Measures Act.
Some overcharged in the consumer association's survey
IN a survey of 30 jewellery retailers here, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has found five that failed its test for gold fineness and eight that overcharged customers.
The body said yesterday that it had randomly bought a piece of gold jewellery from each retailer, about half of which are located in Little India and Chinatown and the other half, mostly in the heartlands.
The gold jewellery included rings, bangles and pendants.
'All 30 test items were 22K or 916 gold articles, and hence it meant that the gold articles should contain at least 91.6 per cent by weight of gold,' said Case.
The articles were tested by the Singapore Assay Office for their fineness standard, using fire assay cupellation.
Five fell short, with gold content ranging from just 85.94 per cent to 91.04 per cent.
In the other test to see if retailers charge more than the actual value of the gold jewellery based on the weight and price at the point of purchase, eight were found to have overcharged.
Ho Nai Cheun, president of Singapore Jewellers' Association, said in Case's report that Singapore has developed a reputation as one of the best places worldwide to buy gold jewellery, because members of the trade uphold standards of reliability, quality and integrity.
Errant or unscrupulous jewellers who sell gold jewellery below the specified fineness tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the trade and they should be taken to task and dealt with by the authorities, he added
UBS Gold Bar
Montblanc Marlene Dietrich Pen
Rose Cut Diamond Cufflinks
Carved Amethyst Lionhead Cufflinks
Flower-cut Facetted Citrine
