why is hallmarking important?
The tradition of hallmarking in the UK is a historic one, that dates back over 700 years and is a staple of the British jewellery and metalwork industry. It was first introduced in 1300 by Edward I to protect customers from counterfeit goods, and while processes and methods have changed, the principle remains the same all these years later.
“No goldsmith…shall from henceforth make or cause to be made any manner of vessel, jewel or any other thing of gold or silver except it be of the true alloy […] and that no manner of vessel of silver depart out of the hands of the workers, until further, that it be marked with the leopard’s head”
- Statute of Edward I in 1300
In essence, a hallmark signifies that piece of precious metal has been independently tested (or “assayed”) to guarantee that it is the metal the seller says it is. The hallmark also tells the customer who made the piece, where it was assayed, and when. That’s quite a lot of information contained in just a few symbols!
what do the hallmark symbols mean?
Here’s an example of what a traditional hallmark might look like - in fact it’s mine! If you purchase a piece of gold jewellery from Lilac Tree, you might spot this hallmark or something like it struck onto it!
A hefty sterling silver ring like this would need to be hallmarked due to its weight. The millesimal fineness mark for sterling silver is 925.
The very first symbol is the makers mark - a unique symbol created from letters and shapes to denote the maker of the piece. This is my maker’s mark, that I have registered with the London Assay Office at Goldsmith’s Hall!
The traditional fineness mark tells you what type of precious metal the piece is made from - sterling silver, gold, platinum or palladium for example. The symbol shown here represents gold.
The millesimal fineness mark goes a step further, telling you the quality of the metal - how much precious metal is in the piece. Most precious metals are alloyed with base metals for durability, but in short the higher the number here the more precious metal is contained. This symbol represents 18ct gold.
The Assay Office mark tells you where the piece was tested and hallmarked. The historic image of the leopard’s head, the mark for London Assay Office, dates back to the 14th century, and is where all my jewellery is tested and hallmarked!
Last but not least, the final symbol which takes the form of a letter contained within a specific shape, denotes the year in which the piece was hallmarked. This changes annually on January 1st. All pieces hallmarked in 2023 are the lowercase letter y in an octagon shape.
A 9ct yellow gold ring, set with Carico Lake turquoise. Its millesimal fineness mark is 375, meaning its gold content is 37.5%.
The entrance to the London Assay Office, which I visit on a regular basis to have my jewellery hallmarked.
why should jewellery be hallmarked?
First and foremost, it’s a legal requirement! All sterling silver weighing over 7.78g and all gold weighing over 1g sold in the UK must be assayed and hallmarked. In addition, makers must display a Dealers Notice wherever they sell their jewellery, whether that’s online or in person. You can find mine here, and you can also see it displayed on my stall at markets. These requirements are set out in the Hallmarking Act of 1973, and are in place to protect customers.
After many hundreds of years, it’s still the most reliable way to guarantee the provenance and purity of your piece of jewellery. Otherwise how do you know the metal is what the seller says it is? It’s extremely difficult to tell just by looking at or touching the metal itself. You sometimes see sterling silver simply stamped with a “925” mark, but that in itself does not meet the legal requirements - anyone can strike their own stamp on a piece of jewellery, and there is no guarantee that it has been independently assayed.
And as a jeweller, for me it’s about respecting history. Hallmarking isn’t cheap, and the cost is covered by the maker - I’ve paid to register at the London Assay Office, and then pay a fee for each piece depending on how many I send in at one time. The process itself can take around two weeks, but it can take longer at peak times, for example around Christmas. When you put it like that, you can see why some folk might be tempted to skip this process. But I’m proud to be part of this historic tradition!
I hope this blog has helped to explain why hallmarking is so important in the jewellery industry, and what you should look out for when purchasing a piece of fine jewellery! Is hallmarking helpful when browsing for jewellery? Let me know in the comments!