JEWEL SMUGGLERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 108, 3 November 1937, Page 28

JEWEL SMUGGLERS

A BRITISH PROBLEM

Jewellery smuggling by women is causing a good deal of anxiety to British jewellers, though the extent to which it exists seems to be a matter

of opinion, says the "Sunday Observer."

Apparently the average person does not know that there is no barrier to the entry of unset stones into this country. Only when the jewels are in their setting do they become dutiable as manufactured articles, and jewellers generally—save in the case of a special design—prefer to import stones "in' the raw" and have them made up in England. '

The woman, therefore, vrho tries to smuggle in rings, bangles, and pendants, thereby depriving British craftsmen of work, is actuallx the loser in most cases, and has Nbeen known to pay four times as much for an article in, say, Instanbul as she would have been called upon to pay in Regent Street.

Nevertheless, the position is a tantalising one for the British jewellery trade. MISTAKEN CHIVALRY. ''This form of smuggling presents a curious psychological problem," a spokesman of the trade said."Women get away with it quite easily and even openly, for others have a mistaken sense of chivalry in not speaking out. It is in the interests of the nation that something should be done about it at once. .

"All these women smugglers can save is. the cost of manufacture, and that is generally much higher abroad than ' here. . So actually they lose, though at the same, time they are depriving our workmen of money which should be circulating in this, country.

"We are advising women who go abroad to get from their jewellers a certificated ■ list of their jewels from their insurance schedules to produce when they are returning through the Customs. Otherwise it is likely that the innocent might suffer with the guilty."

Some concern has been expressed for the Englishwoman who has lived abroad for years and is returning to settle at home. The law, however, is clear. There are special provisions to cover all cases of this description, and personal jewellery which has been in the possession'or use of the returned traveller for twelve months is exempt from duty.