The NAJ launches Codes of Practice for whole UK industry
The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has announced that its Codes of Practice are now available to all jewellery businesses in the UK, irrespective of whether they are a member of the association or not.
In 2022, the NAJ launched its strategy centred around compliance, profitability, and responsibility. This strategy has been implemented to help shape professional excellence for all sectors of membership and the wider jewellery trade.
In the same year, the association launched its first Codes of Practice (CoP), a series of accessible, digestible, and actionable documents designed to ensure the trade stays legally compliant on a range of jewellery-specific issues.
Most documents have been created with the support of the NAJ’s Trading Standards partners and developed into accessible guidelines with the help of targeted industry focus groups and subject specialists.
NAJ stated that collaborating with focus groups ensures the intended audience easily understands the essential information and can be implemented in a practical business environment.
Current Codes of Practice include:
Pricing (updated 2024): This Code of Practice (CoP) outlines the criteria that businesses selling jewellery, watches, silverware, and associated products must abide by to demonstrate a professional business following pricing legislation.
Diamond Terminology Guidance (updated 2023): This Code of Practice provides clear guidelines on acceptable terminology for natural and laboratory-grown diamonds.
Uncollected items (published 2022): This Code of Practice outlines the legal requirements that all businesses that repair jewellery, watches, silverware and associated products must abide by to demonstrate a professional business.
The NAJ has a full schedule of releases throughout the rest of 2024 and beyond. The Upcoming Codes of Practice or Guidance Notes include a range of topics.
Gemstone Treatment: What should businesses disclose about gemstone treatments, and how can they do this?
Hallmarking: This CoP is an easy-to-understand guide to the Hallmarking Act and how to implement it.
Valuing: If your business does not use the services of a member or fellow of the Institute of Registered Valuers, what is the best practice protocol for providing up-to-standard valuations?
Green Claims: How to avoid misleading greenwashing. What jewellery businesses can and can’t say about environmental claims and sustainability.
Katie Gillespie, The NAJ’s compliance and policy manager, said: “Knowing your legal obligations is central to running a compliant and successful business, but when you don’t have the support of a legal team behind you, understanding and implementing these obligations can be challenging. This is why we have created the Codes of Practice and why we are now making them available to anybody working in the UK jewellery trade.
“Improving professional excellence across the industry boosts consumer confidence, and we are constantly developing new codes and revisiting existing documents to ensure the information is up to date and accurate.”