Institutions – Certification bodies & labs

SWISS PRECIOUS METALS CONTROL (CMP)

The Swiss Precious Metals Control (Contrôle des Métaux Précieux, CMP) is a regulatory framework that plays a pivotal role in ensuring the authenticity, quality, and ethical sourcing of precious metals used in Swiss industries, including watchmaking.

Origin and History

In 1880 Switzerland introduced its first law to regulate the trade and usage of precious metals. This early legislation laid the groundwork for formal controls. Sixty years later, the Federal Act on the Control of Trade in Precious Metals and Articles of Precious Metals (Precious Metals Control Act) was established in 1933, forming the basis for the CMP’s current structure. This act set out requirements for purity, hallmarking, and the trade of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. It also defined the responsibility of assay offices to oversee compliance.

Starting in 2000, precious metals certified in Switzerland had to comply with international guidelines, such as the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains, including ethical standards regarding sourcing conflict-free and sustainable materials.

The official seal of the Swiss Precious Metals Control (CMP)

Main Fields of Work

The CMP oversees various critical activities to ensure compliance with Swiss and international standards for precious metals:

1. Hallmarking and Certification

The CMP inspects and hallmarks precious metal articles to certify their quality. Precious metals and alloys must meet strict criteria for purity to be legally traded or sold in Switzerland.

2. Testing and Assay Offices

CMP-approved assay offices test the chemical composition of precious metal items. These tests ensure that materials meet the required fineness and do not contain prohibited substances.

3. Monitoring Ethical Sourcing

The CMP enforces compliance with ethical sourcing guidelines, ensuring that precious metals used in Swiss products are free from conflict and adhere to international human rights standards.

4. Preventing Counterfeiting

Counterfeit metals or improperly hallmarked items are confiscated and penalised under Swiss law. 

Precious metals according to CMP

Precious metals are defined and regulated under specific legislation to ensure their authenticity and quality. According to Swiss law, the following outlines the types of materials considered precious, their associated markings, and other relevant details:

• Gold (Au)
• Silver (Ag)
• Platinum (Pt)
• Palladium (Pd)

Certain metals, despite their value in specific applications, are not recognised as precious under the legislation governing precious metals. These include:

• Rhodium (Rh)
• Ruthenium (Ru)
• Iridium (Ir)
• Osmium (Os)

For an item to be classified as vermeil or gold-plated silver, the gold layer must have a minimum fineness of 585‰ (14 karat).

​Markings

Markings on precious metal items must adhere to the following rules:

• Language: Markings may be written in French, German, Italian, or English.
• Abbreviations: Abbreviations are not permitted. All indications must be written out in full, except for chemical symbols.
• Chemical Symbols: Only symbols recognised by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) may be used, such as:
• “Au” for gold
• “Ag” for silver
• “Ti” for titanium

​Combined metals

When an item contains both precious and non-precious metals, the following rules apply:

Base metal parts should be labelled with the word “METAL” or the specific name of the metal or alloy used, such as:

• “ACIER” (steel)
• “INOX” (stainless steel)
• “LAITON” (brass)

If marking is not technically possible, base metal parts must be distinguishable from the precious metal components by their colour.