Articles made of precious metals refer to articles made of gold, silver, palladium and platinum, such as jewellery, silverware and cutlery.
In jewellery making, precious metals are alloyed with other metals in order to lend them a desired colour, to enhance their ability to be worked on and to provide lower material costs.
In order for a product to be called an article made of a precious metal, it must also consist of a precious metal below the surface. Articles made of non-precious metals but coated with precious metals, such as gold-plated chains or other coated products, are not considered to be articles made of precious metals.
Legislation governing articles made of precious metals lays down requirements for such articles when they are released onto the market, for example, when they are sold to the consumer. The fineness of precious metal and stamps must meet the requirements. Other requirements are also set for articles.