What is a hallmark?
Have you ever wondered what the markings on your jewellery are? This blog breaks down the different marks that make up a hallmark and should provide you with all the knowledge required to check your own hallmarked jewellery.
London Assay Office
Within the UK, it is a legal requirement to hallmark precious metal jewellery. There are some exceptions, but metals over the below weights MUST be hallmarked.
- Silver 7.78g
- Gold 1.0g
- Platinum 0.5g
- Palladium 1.0g
Earrings and cufflinks are classed as individual items so are weighed separately. If they are over the minimum weight they are both hallmarked. Likewise, if a pendant can be removed from the chain, the chain and pendant are individual items and then weighed as separate articles to determine if a hallmark is required.
It is a legal requirement for anyone selling precious metal jewellery (in person or online) to display a hallnote, you can view it here.
Hallmarking is just one way to determine whether a piece of jewellery is made from a precious metal or not. There are lots of other factors to see if what you are buying is genuine and I will discuss this in a future blog post.
Did you know that the UK hallmark dates back to the 1300s? In 1363, Edward III established the maker’s mark granted a charter to the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in London.
Sponsors Mark
The first part of the hallmark is the sponsors or makers mark. This can be their initials or name and must be at least two letters and a maximum of five. Around the outside of the initial is the shield which can come in a variety of shapes.
My sponsors mark is KS and it doesn't have a shield around it.
Traditional Finesse Symbol
Below are the different symbols that represent the different metals. From left to right: Sterling silver, Britannia silver, gold, palladium, platinum.
Millesimal Fineness Mark
This mark indicates the quality of the metal and amount of precious metal within its makeup. For example silver 925 is 92.5% silver and gold 750 is 75% gold.
Each of the metals have their own shield to represent the metal.
Below is a chart to show you the different fineness of metals.
Assay Office Mark
Within the UK there are four assay offices; London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh. Each office has its own symbol.
London - Leopard Head, Birmingham - Anchor, Sheffield - Tudor Rose, Edinburgh - Castle
I am registered at the London Assay Office so my jewellery is marked with the leopards head.
Date Mark
The date mark represents the year a piece is hallmarked. It is a letter with a shield around it. Every year the letter changes, the below Z is the date stamp for 2024.
At the start of 2025 the date letter will start again with A and the font, case and shield will change so no two years will be the same making it possible to date a piece of jewellery.
This is a non-compulsory mark so may not appear on all jewellery.
Commemorative Marks
Throughout the years there have been special marks released to celebrate significant dates, including the 1953 Queens Coronation, 2000 Millennium Mark and most recently the Platinum Jubilee mark which was available between 2021-22.
Platinum Jubilee Commemorative Mark
The four Assay Offices are currently offering the King Charles III commemorative mark. This will available to add to your hallmark until the end of 2024.
King Charles III Coronation Commemorative Mark
If you would like to enquire about this mark please get in touch.
Here are some examples of my jewellery with hallmarks:
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I hope you have found this guide useful. If you have any questions regarding hallmarking or a specific piece of jewellery you have and would like to know more about please contact me.