Follow best practices or face action, MoCI tells jewellers

MUSCAT: The Directorate General for Standardization and Metrology in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched an inspection campaign to ensure jewellers are sticking to the Omani law.

Specialists from the directorate have started inspection of stores selling precious stones in the governorate of Muscat, as part of the campaign.

According to the Director of the Department of Standards and Control of Precious Metals, Fayeza bint Hamad al Mushrfeya, “The campaign is part of implementing Royal Decree no. (109/2000), and comes under the framework of regulating the precious stone market and penalising stores that violate the terms and conditions stipulated therein.”

“The law related to sale of precious stones in the Sultanate prohibits selling, exhibiting, or possessing them with the intent of sale unless they carry a note or a card displaying all the required information about the stones, including the name of the stone, its type and weight in Karats, colour and the extent of chemical refinement, if applicable,” she added.

As for diamonds, the information must include the weight, colour and quality, considering aspects such as purity indicating to what extent they are free from defects such as scratch and rupture, she noted, adding, the information tag for pearls should specify whether they are natural or not.