Jewellers told to pay £4k for selling fake rings

Zerrin Jewellery, in Hull, was found to be selling jewellery that was not hallmarked on two occasions

A jewellery shop has been ordered to pay more than £4,000 after it was found guilty of selling fake silver rings.

Zerrin Jewellery, based on Newland Avenue in Hull and owned by Fast Food Import and Export, was investigated by Hull City Council after a routine inspection uncovered jewellery that was not hallmarked for sale at the shop on two occasions.

The company was ordered to pay £4,000 in costs, fined £300 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £120.

Councillor Charles Quinn, portfolio holder for Trading Standards, said: "It's important that people are able to buy with the confidence that the product they are spending their hard-earned money on is exactly what it claims to be."

The company was handed the costs, fine and surcharge at a Hull Magistrates' Court hearing on 24 October.

The investigation was led by the council's Trading Standards team and the Sheffield Assay Office, which is responsible for testing and verifying precious metals.

Quinn added: "For most people, buying jewellery is something done very rarely as a treat.

"Precious metals are bought with the assumption they will hold their value and maintain their quality for a lifetime.

"As we head towards Christmas, it's important that anyone buying jewellery as a gift takes steps to make sure it's genuine."

Advice from the council included looking up customer reviews where possible and looking at the piece to see if it has been hallmarked before buying.

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