RELATIONSHIPS RELATED TO PRECIOUS STONES AND PRECIOUS METALS AS AN OBJECT OF CIVIL LAW REGULATION IN UZBEKISTAN

Аннотация

Thisstudyexaminesrelationshipsrelatedtopreciousstonesandpreciousmetalsasobjects of civil law regulation within the legal framework of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The research addresses the gap in national jurisprudence regarding the comprehensive study of civil-legal regulation of precious stones and metals in their natural state, moving beyond traditional focus on secondarymarketregulationandillegalcirculationprevention. The analysis begins with constitutional foundations, particularly Article 68 of the Uzbekistan Constitution, which establishes underground resources as national wealth under state protection while emphasizing rational utilization. The study traces recent legislative developments, including Presidential Decree PQ-4030 of 2018, which legalized precious metals extraction through prospecting methods as entrepreneurship, addressing previous criminogenic situations arising from unregulated extraction activities. The study identifies three primary categories of civil-legal relationships: organizational relationships regarding land use rights for extraction activities, delivery relationshipsbetweenprospectorsandauthorizedpurchasers,andliabilityrelationshipsforregulatory violations. Keywords:preciousmetals,preciousstones,civillawregulation,propertyrights,constitutionallaw, miningrights,contractualobligations,statecontrol,entrepreneurship,legalrelationships,Uzbekistan legislation,naturalresources Innationaljurisprudence,relationshipsrelatedtopreciousstonesandpreciousmetalsintheirnatural, purestateandissuesofregulatingtheseobjectsassubjectsofcivillawhavenotbeenextensivelyand comprehensively studied. In most cases, relationships related to precious stones and precious metals have been studied by legal scholars in terms of regulating their circulation in secondary markets, preventing or restricting their illegal circulation, protecting consumer rights, preventing product counterfeiting,andsimilartopics. In international practice, most specialized research has also been devoted to preventing illegal circulation of precious items in secondary markets and reducing criminal-legal and criminalistic situations related to them, which indicates the need to study the civil-legal regulation aspect of relationshipsrelatedtopreciousstonesandpreciousmetals. Furthermore, according to Article 68 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, our fundamental law states that land, underground resources, water, flora and fauna, and other natural resourcesarenationalwealth,theirrationaluseisnecessary,andtheyareunderstateprotection. In this constitutional norm being explained, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that mineral resources and their components, including precious stones and metals, are considered absolute property of the state. At the same time, this norm emphasizes the necessity of rational use of this categoryofnaturalresourcesinformsandproceduresestablishedbylegislation. This constitutional norm expresses the "people's property" concept enshrined in legislation on mineral resources and serves to justify the state's right to manage resources (specifically through licensing,notification,andpermitsystems). 127 Volume 4, issue 8, 2025 Basedoncurrentrapidlydevelopingmarketeconomyconditions,Uzbekistanhasalsobegunreforms aimedatslightlydeviatingfromtraditionalestablishedregulationinthefield,activelyparticipatingin internationalrelations,liberalizingthedomesticmarket,andimprovingnationallegislationregulating thecirculationofpreciousmetalsandpreciousstones.Examplesincludeclarifyingtheboundariesof restrictions on precious metals circulation, expanding the circle of civil-legal circulation participants inthefield,andimplementingliberalizationpoliciesregardinglicensingissuesandothers. Additionally, as indicated in the "Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026," it can benotedthateverypersonisguaranteedtoenjoyrightsandinterestscreatedbyfreecivilsociety. Also,duringthepast6-7yearsinourcountry's history, attentionbegan tobepaidat thegovernment level to developing precious metals extraction through prospecting methods as a type of entrepreneurship, ensuring employment, efficiently developing surface land plots, and increasing gold and jewelry production, and legal mechanisms were created for ordinary physical and legal entitiestoengageinnon-industrialmetalextraction. Accordingly, in 2018, Presidential Decree No. PQ-4030 "On measures to create conditions for implementing precious metals extraction activities through prospecting methods" was adopted to develop precious metals extraction through prospecting as entrepreneurship, ensure employment, efficientlydevelopsurfacelandplots,andincreasegoldandjewelryproduction.Theadoptionofthis single normative-legal document alone made the regulation of relationships in field activities, particularlypricedeterminationofextractedpreciousmetals,theirpurchase,accounting,storage,and sale,apressingissuefortoday'sjurisprudence. Therefore, studying relationships relat