With a rich heritage, hallmarking jewellery is a trusted practice you can rely on, whether you’re purchasing jewellery for the first time or are a seasoned buyer. Most precious metal jewellery isn’t comprised entirely of pure silver, gold, or platinum. Therefore, understanding the language and standard of hallmarks placed on jewellery is essential to ensure the quality and authenticity of an item.
Learn more about hallmarked jewellery and how it offers you peace of mind.
What is a hallmark?
Hallmarks are a recognised group of component marks stamped or laser engraved into precious metal jewellery. They’re usually found discretely on the inside of a ring band, the reverse of a pendant, or on bracelet and necklace clasps.
Intriguing at first glance, these small symbols reveal desirable information about these prized items. A legally regulated and recognised means of knowing the authenticity of valuable jewellery, hallmarks denote how pure an alloy is. With a valid hallmark, buyers can be assured their gold, sterling silver, or platinum ring is worthy of its description.
Trained experts at assay offices hallmark jewellery. There are currently four in the UK, located in the cities of Birmingham, Edinburgh, London, and Sheffield, and they remain independent from jewellers. This neutrality guarantees the quality and material of your chosen design — especially important when buying jewellery online or for the first time.
Why is hallmarking important?
Even the most ardent lover of jewellery can find it difficult to identify the precise nature of a metal. What complicates it even further is that precious metals are often married with non-precious varieties to achieve a more attractive colour.
Hallmarking jewellery also has the benefit of building trust between the industry and those wanting to purchase exclusive jewellery. Sellers who fail to hallmark their jewellery over a certain weight are breaking the law. As such, buyers of hallmarked jewellery know they can rely on the brand from which they purchased for authenticity and guarantee they are protected from fraud of quality materials.
Hallmarks must be legally recognisable and displayed whenever a piece of jewellery weighs the following minimum thresholds:
• All gold jewellery must feature a gold hallmark when weighing 1 gram or more.
• A silver hallmark must be added to jewellery weighing at least 7.78 grams.
• Platinum jewellery has to display a platinum hallmark at 0.5 grams..
Hallmarking of jewellery is not legally required if it’s lighter than these weight measurements. Therefore, petite jewellery may still be genuine when no hallmark is present.
Types of hallmarks and what they mean
Traditionally, a full UK hallmark will feature five distinct marks, including the compulsory sponsor’s mark, the millesimal fineness mark, and the assay office mark. But which other jewellery hallmarks exist, and how should you interpret each one?
Here are some helpful tips for examining hallmarked jewellery.
Sponsor’s mark
These registered marks are bespoke to each creator or business, indicating who has requested the jewellery to be hallmarked. Often referred to as a ‘maker’s mark’, the sponsor’s mark depicts a shield shape with between two and five initials, such as “LAO” (the London Assay Office) within.
Fineness marks
Meaning ‘purity’, this category has two different hallmarks you may notice when examining jewellery. The traditional fineness mark confirms the metal the jewellery has been created from.
The millesimal fineness mark goes into further detail, recording the metal’s purity between 0 and 1000 parts. The larger the number, the higher the purity.
• 925: Sterling silver
• 375: Gold
• 750: 18k gold
• 950: Platinum
Each hallmark has a distinctive border for easier identification.
Assay office mark
One of four symbols to look for include an anchor representing Birmingham, a Tudor rose symbolising Sheffield, a castle for Edinburgh, and a leopard’s head for London. Recognising these marks will tell you which assay office hallmarked the jewellery. Each acts as a benchmark for quality and prestige.
Optional marks
Additional jewellery hallmarks include a date letter mark, an international convention mark (introduced to the UK in 1972), or an exemption weight. The first, while not required by law, is carefully governed with the unique date punch being withdrawn and destroyed after each year ends. Each letter mark has a unique combination of shield design, font, and case.
What to look for when buying hallmarked jewellery
To guide your jewellery buying journey, we suggest customers practice three things when purchasing hallmarked pieces.
Look for an official hallmark
In the UK, hallmarking jewellery is governed by strict legislation, offering a premium-grade guarantee compared to other markets where it’s not required. Always look for hallmarks, especially the three compulsory marks noted above. If the jewellery is above a certain weight and has no hallmark, it likely isn’t made from a quality metal.
Understand the various components
Possessing knowledge of hallmarked jewellery and its symbolic components can avoid poor purchases and disappointment. It may take time to appreciate the various elements of a hallmark, but this will assist you when verifying its authenticity online or in person.
Check for more information
A jeweller should cheerfully answer your questions when speaking with them. However, we’d advise you use a jeweller’s loop or magnifying glass to confirm for yourself the metal purity is spot-on. Hallmarks can be smaller than 1.5mm, meaning these jewellery tools are helpful when considering what to buy.
Hallmarked jewellery at Robert Gatward Jewellers
Understanding hallmarked jewellery is essential when purchasing luxury items. That’s why we’re proud to be an Assay Assured Jewellery Retailer — a status administered by the Edinburgh Assay Office. Having this reassurance allows you to relax and enjoy the experience of purchasing a gift or a self-purchase.
By visiting our hallmark information page, you can find even more details of our Assay Assured membership, including our approach to hallmarking jewellery.
