JEWEL SMUGGLERS

Evening Star, Issue 22816, 26 November 1937, Page 2

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 tho average person does not' know that there is no barrier to the entry of unset stones into this country. Only when the are in their setting do they become dutiable as manufactured articles, and jewellers- 1 generally—save in the case of a special design—prefer to import stones “ in tho raw ” and have them made up in England. The woman, therefore, who tries to smuggle in rings, bangles, and pendants, thereby depriving British craftsmen of work, is actually the loser in most cases, and has been known _to pay four times as much for an article in, say, Istanbul as she would have been caller upon to pay in Regent street. Nevertheless, the position is a tantalising one for the British jewellery trade. “ 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. “ AE 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 thjjt 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 12 months is exempt from duty.