HALLMARKS
Hallmarking system & its reason
The modern Hallmarking system started in London, in 1327 to protect the public against fraud and unscrupulous sellers. The term hallmark comes from mark of the hall of goldsmiths in London (today’s London assay office), who were the first official assay hallmarking office. A hallmark can only be applied by an UK assay office or an assay office belonging to the International Convention (the marks from other European countries must provide same information like UK marks, to be understood by UK consumers).
There are four approved UK assay offices:
| London | Birmingham | Sheffield | Edinburgh |
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Gold and silver have been alloyed with other metals, because in their pure state they are too soft to make jewellery. The precious metal must be mixed with other elements to give it the necessary properties such as flexibility to produce a desirable and durable article. The fraud is very difficult to detect. Hallmarking involves testing articles made of precious metal and marking them to indicate that they are of a minimum standard of purity.
Metal and purity (fineness) mark
Gold hallmarks 
Silver hallmarks
Platinum hallmarks
Palladium hallmarks
It’s illegal for gold, silver and platinum over a certain weight not to be hallmarked.
Traditionally, hallmarks are struck into the metal using a steel punch, but laser marking is now replacing the punch method. The problem with traditional punching is that the process of punching displaces metal, causing some distortion of the article being marked. This mean, that re-finishing of the article is required after hallmarking. So a new method of marking using lasers is especially valuable for delicate items and hollowware, which would be damage or distorted by the punching process. It also means that finished articles do not need to be re-finished. There are two methods of laser marking, 2D (burns the outline of the hallmarks into the object) and 3D (simulates the traditional punching).
A hallmark should have these three parts:
- The sponsor’s mark – Indicates the maker or sponsor of the article.
- The fineness mark – A number indicating the purity or fineness in parts per thousands
- An assay office mark – Indicates the particular assay office, where the article was tested and marked.
A hallmark can also include optional marks:
- A date letter – It was previously compulsory.
- A fineness symbol – Traditional marks such as the lion, crown or orb.
- A commemorative mark – Struck on the occasion of a special event
- A common control mark – A mark used by countries which are signatories to the International Convention on Hallmarking
All marks are now the same no matter, where the goods are from. The marks from other European countries must provide information, which is equivalent to that provided by UK hallmarks and which can be understood by UK consumers.
The only items, which are exempt are those, which are under the legal weight limit: 1 gram for gold, 0,5 grams for platinum, 7,78 grams for silver
The date at which an article is considered to be an antique and so exempt from hallmarking has changed from 1900 to 1920.