The NAG - National Association of Goldsmiths

In Brief
N.A.G. stands for National Association of Goldsmiths. This title is a misnomer. Most of the members are not goldsmiths, they are retail jewellers.
They do not possess a code of ethics or conduct.*
We used to be an N.A.G. member, but since about 1992, as we were no longer retail jewellers, they ceased to be relevant to us.

Less Briefly...
When we opened a retail jewellery shop in 1978, we thought it appropriate to join the NAG.
Joining was a fairly simple process. We had to be sponsored by two existing members. We asked two local jeweller members who we already knew, and they were both happy to oblige.
We remained members until about 1994, during which time we were happy enough with the NAG, and we presume they were happy enough with us.
Early in 1991, a partner left (so did about £150.000, but that's another story!) As it was his, not my, idea to open a retail jeweller's, I started planning to close that business, and take a step back to a business with which I was more comfortable and familiar.
In 1992, we re-named our business "Chard", and re-launched our Lytham Road premises as a "Jewellery Cash & Carry", in addition to the existing amd original business of numismatics.
In about 1994, we closed our Blackpool retail jewellery shop.
When we closed, it was with pleasure and relief. I had lost enthusiasm for the High Street retail scene.
To be a successful High Street retail jeweller, one needs to pay high rents to acquire a prime location, spend big money on shopfitting and facades, invest capital into prestige branded watch stock, spend lots on local prestige advertising, employ lots of smart, well-trained sales staff for the high levels of service and security needed, pay fat insurance premiums, mark up stock by 100% to 200%, and work hard to sell enough to clear the overheads, not to mention praying that your shop won't be targeted by armed robbers.

Change of Trading Style
Competition on the High Street isn't about competing on price, it's more about competing on flash. By "flash", we mean all the aspects of marketing .

Membership Lapsed?
When our next annual membership renewal for the NAG arrived, we were not entirely convinced that it held enough attractions for us any longer, we hadn't decided to pull out, but...
When we advised a membership clerk of our change of address, she enquired about the nature of our new premises, was it still a shop? No, we explained, it was a "cash and carry showroom". In that case, we would need to resubmit a new membership aplication, attaching photographs of the new showroom, so that the membership committee could consider it. We have been too busy since then to get round to this, and we presume that our membership has since lapsed.

No Code of Ethics *
One thing we did not realise when we joined the NAG was the absence of a code of ethics or conduct. We supect that most professional or trade bodies include such a code in their membership rules.
We only realised the lack of such a code when we complained about the unethical conduct of a new member, the NAG failed even to censure the rogue member. We were told by the NAG President that the Association aimed to have a wide membership policy, and that, hopefully, membership would encourage better ethics and conduct. A fine aspiration and noble sentiment, but any trade association should have ethical standards and a compliance procedure, we strongly believe.
Compare the much smaller BNTA, of which we were members from 1973 through to 2008 inclusive.

* Update - 2nd May 2001
Lawrence,
I believe we met a long time ago with NAG I have been looking at your web site and note your comments with regard to a code of conduct. For some years we have had a code and all new members are required to sign it. Our membership bands are thank goodness widening and I hope that one day we will represent everyone who sells jewellery.
Kind Regards
Margaret Harris
Suffolk