• Courts.The National Court investigates whether Tous sells jewelry with a lower quality than announced
  • The richest.The fortune of the Tous family

The investigation is in its infancy, but the damage to the Catalan company Tous can be enormous. A complaint by the Association of Consumers and Users of Jewelry (Consujoya) filed with the Civil Guard of Córdoba in 2018 states that Tous sells jewelry that includes non-metallic material, despite advertising them as if they were entirely of gold or silver, something that the brand denies

The complainants provided an expert analysis in support of their accusation, in which jewels advertised as 18 and 24 karat or silver of first law were analyzed, but in which non-metallic materials were detected. The National Court has opened an investigation to see if, indeed, Tous sells jewelry with a lower quality than advertised.

According to the documentation of the cause to which Europa Press has had access, on suspicion that Tous products were not what they seemed, the Consujoya association acquired the mythical bear that manufactures the signature in its pendant version of adult and girl and Finished in "first law silver", in establishments in Córdoba , Málaga and Madrid and on the Tous website itself.

The samples were forwarded to the Ecomep laboratory in Córdoba, whose report found that the landfill was non-metallic and contained a hydrocarbon structure that failed to comply with the regulations of the Metals Law Regulation. The same verdict reached the University Institute of Nanochemistry of the University of Córdoba when analyzing the pieces acquired on the web.

Sources of the case indicate that the intention is that the investigation advances with agility in view of the damage that the opening of the cause can generate to the company. The crimes that could have been committed would be those of misleading advertising, documentary falsehood, fraud and corruption among individuals.

The applicable regulations - it is a heavily regulated sector - allows the use of materials that give stability to the jewels, but only in certain cases and always informing about it in the labeling.

The company denies the accusations

Tous, which is based in Manresa (Barcelona), points out in a statement that all the jewels that it sells in Spain are certified by authorized official laboratories and that it works its parts using microfusion and electroforming technology.

"In both cases a technology endorsed by all the technical bodies of the Public Administration is used, while Tous incorporates in all its parts the corresponding certificate of guarantee and authenticity in which the technique used and the law of precious metals are specified ". Tous explains that, through the use of the "electroforming" technique, and depending on the size, shape and precious metal used, "the jewel may incorporate non-metallic cores that help confer stability to the piece, always maintaining the first law."

The brand also notes that the certification and contrast of first-grade silver, as well as 18-carat gold, is carried out in accordance with the Precious Metals Law by an independent entity of the group. "Tous has made design, technology and quality its hallmarks," adds the brand.

Founded in 1920 and currently chaired by Alba Tous, the firm has a presence in more than 50 countries with 700 stores and has a staff of more than 4,000 professionals. In 2018, it obtained a consolidated net profit of 27.3 million euros, 120% more than in 2017, and the turnover of the group reached 396.4 million euros, which represents an increase of 4.5%.

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