Precious Metals Marking Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1303)

Short Title

1 These Regulations may be cited as the Precious Metals Marking Regulations.

Interpretation

2 In these Regulations, Act means the Precious Metals Marking Act.

Exemption from Application of the Act

3 Every article sold to a dealer who is outside Canada is exempt from the application of the Act.

Parts Exempt from Assay

4 The parts of an article that are exempt from assay for the purposes of the Act and these Regulations are

• (a) any mechanism, movement or works, where the article consists of a case or cover containing or incorporating the mechanism, movement or works;

• (b) brooch pins, brooch joints and brooch catches on

  • (i) gold or silver insignia pins, or

  • (ii) any article to which a quality mark specified in Column I of item 1, 2 or 4 of the table to section 7 may be applied;

• (c) where the article is an article to which a quality mark specified in Column I of item 1 or 2 of the tables to sections 6, 8 and 9 or in Column I of item 1, 2 or 4 of the table to section 7 may be applied, the following parts thereof:

  • (i) springs, winding bars, sleeves, crown cores, joint pins, screws, rivets, dust bands, movement rings and spring pins,

  • (ii) hat pin stems and sockets,

  • (iii) scarf pin, stick pin and collar tack clutchbacks,

  • (iv) bracelet tongues,

  • (v) locket bezels,

  • (vi) knife skeletons and blades,

  • (vii) lapel button backs and the posts to which they are attached,

  • (viii) earring setting posts, and

  • (ix) tubes and posts for attachment to drilled stones together with any attached collet or claw setting; and

• (d) where the article is a spectacle frame to which a quality mark specified in the table to section 10 may be applied, the following parts thereof:

  • (i) pad posts,

  • (ii) cores and inner winding of comfort cable temples,

  • (iii) any part permanently encased in a non-metallic covering, and

  • (iv) hinge assemblies.

Marks

• 5 (1) Subject to subsections 10(1), 11(6) and 12(1), a quality mark may be applied to a precious metal article by any method.

• (2) Where a quality mark is stamped, branded, engraved or imprinted on a precious metal article, a trademark that is applied to that article pursuant to subsection 4(3) of the Act shall be applied by the same method as the quality mark.

• (3) Where only part of an article is composed of a precious metal plating of a quality specified in section 7, 8 or 9 and a quality mark is applied to the article, the name of the part to which the quality mark is applicable shall be applied immediately before or after the mark.

• (4) Where a statement of the thickness of the precious metal is expressed as a whole numeral and followed immediately by the word “micrometres”, or the symbol, “vm” the word “micron”, or the symbol “v” may be substituted therefor.

Articles other than Plated Articles

• 6 (1) A quality mark specified in Column I of an item of the table to this section may be applied to an article, other than a plated article, or part thereof, that

  • (a) is composed wholly or partly of a precious metal specified in Column II of that item; and

  • (b) meets the requirements specified in Column III of that item.

• (2) Where only part of an article, other than a plated article, is composed wholly or partly of a precious metal and the quality mark is applied to the article, the name of the part to which the quality mark is applicable shall be applied immediately before or after the mark.

• (3) Where a quality mark for gold is used, the word “gold”, “or”, the letter “G” or the abbreviation “Au” may be applied to the article in conjunction with the quality mark.

• (4) Where the quality of gold in an article is represented

  • (a) in karats, the number shown in conjunction with that representation shall be in the same proportion to the number 24 as the quality of the gold in the article is to pure gold; or

  • (b) in decimals, the number used shall be in the same proportion to the number 1 as the quality of the gold in the article is to pure gold.

    	Column I	Column II	Column III
    	Quality Mark	Precious Metal	Minimum Quality or Quantity of Precious Metal
    1	The quality of the gold expressed in karats or decimals. Karats may be shown as “karat”, “carat”, “Karat”, “Carat”, “Kt.”, “Ct.”, “K” or “C”	Gold	9 karats
    2	“silver”, “sterling”, “sterling silver”, “argent”, “argent sterling” or any abbreviation for any of the foregoing or the quality of the silver shown in decimals	Silver	925 parts by weight in every 1,000 parts pure silver
    3	“platinum”, “plat.” or “platine”	Platinum or an alloy of platinum and iridium or ruthenium	95 per cent or more of the metallic content of the article or part
    4	“palladium” or “pall.”	Palladium	95 per cent or more of the metallic content of the article or part
    5	“palladium” or “pall.”	An alloy of palladium and platinum, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, or gold	The quantity of palladium and of the alloy must be at least 90 per cent and 95 per cent respectively of the metallic content of the article or part

Plated Articles other than Watch Cases, Spectacle Frames, Flatware and Hollow Ware

• 7 (1) A quality mark specified in Column I of an item of the table to this section may be applied to a plated article, other than a watch case, spectacle frame, or an article of flatware or hollow ware that

  • (a) is plated with the precious metal of a kind and quality specified in Column II of that item; and

  • (b) meets the requirements specified in Columns III and IV of that item.

• (2) Where a quality mark specified in Column I of item 1 or 2 of the table to this section is applied to an article,

  • (a) a fraction showing the ratio of the weight of the gold in the article to the gross weight of the article, and

  • (b) a statement of the quality of the gold expressed in karats or decimals

  may be applied immediately preceding the quality mark.

• (3) All numerals and characters expressing fractions or statements of quality authorized to be applied to an article by subsection (2) shall be of equal size and not larger than the quality mark referred to in subsection (1).

• (4) Where a quality mark specified in Column I of item 3, 5 or 6 of the table to this section is applied to an article plated with gold or silver to a thickness of at least one micrometre, a statement of the thickness of the gold or silver expressed as a whole numeral and followed immediately by the word “micrometre”, or the symbol “vm” therefor, may be applied to the article in conjunction with the quality mark.

• (5) Where a quality mark specified in Column I of item 4 of the table to this section is applied to an article, a fraction, in which all numerals are of equal size and not larger than the quality mark, showing the ratio of the weight of silver in the article to the gross weight of the article may be applied immediately preceding the quality mark.

  	Column I	Column II	Column III	Column IV
  	Quality Mark	Minimum Quality and Kind of Precious Metal Used for Plating	Minimum Quality or Quantity of Precious Metal in the Article	Method of Plating Used
  1	“gold filled”, “G.F.” or “doublé d’or”	Sheet of gold of 10 karats	Gold in plating 1/20, or such larger fraction as may be represented, of the gross weight of the entire article multiplied by (a) the quality of the gold in the plating, where represented in karats or decimals; or (b) 0.416 where no representation in karats or decimals is made	Soldering or sweating
  2	“rolled gold plate”, “R.G.P.” or “plaqué d’or laminé”	Sheet of gold of 10 karats		Soldering or sweating
  3	“gold electroplate”, “gold plated”, “G.E.P.”, “electroplaqué d’or” or “or plaqué”	Gold of 10 karats
  4	“silver filled”, “S.F.” or “doublé d’argent”	Sheet of silver of 925 parts by weight in every 1,000 parts pure silver	Silver in plating 1/10, or such larger fraction as may be represented, of the gross weight of the entire article multiplied by 0.925	Soldering or sweating
  5	“silver electroplate”, “silver plate”, “silver plated”, “electroplaqué d’argent”, “plaqué d’argent” or any abbreviation for any of the foregoing	Silver of 925 parts by weight in every 1,000 parts pure silver
  6	“vermeil” or “vermil”	Gold of 10 karats	exclusive of plating, 925 parts by weight in every 1,000 parts pure silver

Watch Cases other than Bracelet Watch Cases

• 8 (1) A quality mark specified in Column I of an item of the table to this section may be applied to a watch case, other than a bracelet watch case, if

  • (a) gold that is at least 10 karats in quality or silver that is at least 925 parts by weight in every 1,000 parts pure silver is plated to the entire outer surface of the watch case or of the specified components thereof, as the case may be, to a thickness that is at least that shown in Column II of that item;

  • (b) in respect of a quality mark specified in Column I of item 1 or 2 of the table

    • (i) two sheets of gold are soldered or brazed to the outer and inner surfaces of the hunting case front, if any, the back and caps, and

    • (ii) one sheet of gold is soldered or brazed to the outer surface of the centre, open-face or hunting bezel, pendant, crown and bow; and

  • (c) in respect of a quality mark specified in Column I of item 3 of the table

    • (i) two sheets of silver are soldered or brazed to the outer and inner surfaces of the hunting case front, if any, the back and caps, and

    • (ii) one sheet of silver is soldered or brazed to the outer surface of the centre, open-face or hunting bezel, pendant, crown and bow.

• (2) Where a quality mark specified in Column I of item 4 or 5 of the table to this section is applied to a watch case plated with gold or silver respectively to a thickness of at least five micrometres, a statement of the thickness of the gold or silver expressed as a whole numeral and followed immediately by the word “micrometres”, or the symbol “vm” therefor, may be applied to the watch case in conjunction with the quality mark.

  	Column I	Column II
  Item	Quality Mark	Thickness of the Gold or Silver
  1	“Gold filled”, “G.F.” or “doublé d’or” together with the quality of the gold expressed in karats or decimals in characters of the same size as those employed in the quality mark	75 micrometres on the outer surface of the hunting case front (if any), back, centre, open-face bezel (if any), pendant, crown and bow and 25 micrometres on the outer surface of the caps and hunting bezel (if any).
  2	“rolled gold plate,” “R.G.P.” or “plaqué d’or laminé” together with the quality of the gold expressed in karats or decimals in characters of the same size as those employed in the quality mark	35 micrometres on the outer surface of the hunting case front (if any), back, centre, open-face bezel (if any), pendant, crown and bow and 25 micrometres on the outer surface of the caps and hunting bezel (if any).
  3	“silver filled”, “S.F.”, “doublé d’argent”	75 micrometres on the outer surface of the hunting case front (if any), besel (if any), pendant, crown and bow and 25 micrometres on the outer surface of the caps and hunting bezel (if any).
  4	“gold electroplate”, “gold plated”, “G.E.P.”, “electro-plaqué d’or” or “or plaqué”	5 micrometres on the outer surface of the watch case.
  5	“silver electro-plate”, “silver plate” “silver plated”, “electro-plaqué d’argent”, “plaqué d’argent” or any of the foregoing	5 micrometres on the outer surface of the watch case.