Precious Metals Control Ordinance (PMCO)
Amended by No I of the O of 19 June 1995, in force since 1 Aug. 1995 (AS 1995 3113).
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Exceptions
Art. 45
1 The following items need not be marked: a. precious metal articles for scientific or technical use or for medical or dentistry purposes; b. articles that are over 50 years old; c. musical instruments; d. works of art destined for public collections. 2 Any quality indications on the articles mentioned in paragraph 1 or on the associated advertising material must match the actual composition of the articles.
Precious metal articles
Art. 46
1 Precious metal articles must bear the legal standard of fineness in parts per thousand, struck in Arabic numerals. 2 The fineness mark must be applied in a visible, legible and indelible manner and measure at least 0.5 mm in height. 3 If an article comprises parts made of different alloys of the same precious metal, the fineness mark must refer to the lowest standard of fineness used. An exception is made for medals and small bars mounted on a stand made of a lower-quality alloy; in this case, a fineness mark is applied to each part correspondingly. 4 Additional marks, particularly the number of carats in the case of gold alloys or the term «Sterling» for silver articles with a standard of fineness of 0.925, are permissible provided that they correspond to the actual composition of the articles. 5 Fineness marks on platinum and palladium articles must also show the complete or abbreviated name of the metal in question, such as «Pt» or «Pd». 6 Fully gilded or gold-plated silver articl
Mixed articles
Art. 47
1 If the precious metals of a mixed article can be distinguished by their colour, the fineness marks must be applied to each precious metal. 2 If, for technical or aesthetic reasons, the mark cannot be struck on one part, it may be applied to the other part. 3 If the precious metals cannot be distinguished by their colour, only the fineness mark for the lowest-value precious metal may be applied. The order in which precious metals are valued is from silver to palladium, and then from gold to platinum. 4 The Central Office shall regulate the details.
Multi-metal articles
Art. 48
1 For multi-metal articles, the parts made of precious metal and the parts made of non-precious metal must be marked separately: a. with the fineness mark and the responsibility mark on the precious metal parts; b. with the type of metal or the word «Metal» on the parts made of base metal. 2 If, for technical or aesthetic reasons, one part cannot be marked, the mark can be applied to the other part. 3 The Central Office shall regulate the details.
Plated articles
Art. 49
1 Plated articles may be marked as follows: a. with the word «Plaqué», together with the type of production, the following letters being used: 1. «L» for laminated coating, 3. «G» for electrolytic plating; and b. with a responsibility mark. 2 The mark under paragraph 2 may be supplemented by the name of the coating metal, the thickness of the layer in micrometres and the word «microns» in full or abbreviated form. 3 The marks may be struck on an unplated part if, for technical or aesthetic reasons, they cannot be applied on the plated part. 4 Gold plated watch-cases and accessory parts may be also marked as follows: a. with two letters that indicate the type of plating, the following letters being used: 1. «GR» for laminated coating, 2. «GP» for all other types of coating, 3. «GC» for «gold capped» or «coiffe or»; b. with digits that specify the thickness of the plating in micrometres; and c. with a responsibility mark. 5 The Central Office shall issue directives on the permissibility
Art. 49 — Amended by No I of the O of 26 May 2010, in force since 1 July 2010 (AS 2010 2219).
Prohibited marks on plated articles and imitations
Art. 50
1 For plated articles and imitations, the following marks are prohibited: a. fineness marks; b. marks providing information on the proportion or the weight of the precious metal used; c. marks together with the name of precious metals or other information likely to be misleading as to the actual value or the actual composition of the article. 2 For imitations, information on the layer thickness is also prohibited.
Tableware and cutlery
Art. 51
Tableware and cutlery may be marked with the silver content. The Central Office shall issue the relevant regulations.
Supplies and semi-finished products
Art. 52
1 Loose components (supplies) and incomplete articles or parts (semi-finished products) may be given a fineness mark and a responsibility mark. The person who assembles or completes the product is responsible for ensuring that the mark corresponds to the composition of the articles. 2 Semi-finished products are products destined for the manufacture of articles such as slabs, wires, tubes, profile sections and pre-processed pieces in a legal standard of fineness.
Art. 52 — Amended by No I of the O of 26 May 2010, in force since 1 July 2010 (AS 2010 2219).
Art. 53–57
Repealed
