Precious Metal Control

The federal Act on the Control of the Trade in Precious Metals and Precious Metal Articles (Precious Metals Control Act, PMCA) regulates the trade of raw materials, melting materials and melting products, as well as goods such as watches and jewelry from precious metals. Precious metals include gold, silver, platinum and palladium.

The commercial purchase of old precious metals (melt material), the manufacturing of melting products and the testing of the standard of fineness in melted products are activities which require a license. The commercial trade of banking precious metals by trade assayers is also an activity requiring a license under the Money Laundering Act.

For goods made of precious metals, multimetal articles and goods plated with precious metals such as watches and jewelry, there are regulations on the material composition, designation and the official controlling and hallmarking.

The Precious Metals Control enforces the Precious Metals Control Act. It consists of the Central Office for Precious Metals Control and the control offices.

Contact

Precious metal control offices

Addresses of the precious metal control

The Science of Gemstone Testing

SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute
Aeschengraben 26
4051 Basel

SSEF

Print contact

https://www.bazg.admin.ch/content/bazg/en/home/themen/edelmetallkontrolle.html