Unfortunately, all that glitters is not gold. If you read the press, you’ll know that rogue jewellers exist, even in the UK. Therefore, before shopping for jewellery, here are 10 things you should know about hallmarking. We visited the London Assay office where we have our own jewellery hallmarked, to bring you this guide.
This article includes:
- What is a hallmark?
- Who does hallmarking?
- What jewellery needs to be hallmarked?
- Is hallmark forging a criminal offence?
- What to look for when you buy jewellery
- Questions to ask your jeweller
10 Things You Should Know About Hallmarking – SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO VERSION
1. Hallmarking is the law in the UK
Official hallmarking is the trusted way to guarantee that you are getting the correct purity of precious metals in your jewellery. In Britain, all jewellery that is sold as having been made with gold, silver, platinum or palladium, must be hallmarked according to the Hallmarking Act 1973.
The entrance sign at the London Assay Office, one of the four locations where UK hallmarking is carried out
2. It’s an official stamp of quality
A hallmark is a Government seal that’s stamped precious metal objects, such as jewellery or silverware. The purpose of a hallmark is to certify the metal purity of the item. Only a UK Government Assay Office can apply a hallmark. Testing precious metals for purity is called “assaying”, hence the name.
Watch our video of hallmarking happening at the London Assay Office:
3. British hallmarking was established 700 years ago
The first Assay Office opened in London in 1327. This means that hallmarking is one of the earliest forms of consumer protection!
4. There are four UK Assay Offices
There are four Assay Offices in Britain, located in London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh.
The Birminghan Assay office
5. There are four precious metals that require hallmarking
Gold, silver and platinum, and most recently, palladium, must all be hallmarked. White and yellow golds must be further classified into 9K, 14K, 18K and 22K standards, and so on. Silver, platinum and palladium must also satisfy a percentage of purity to meet UK hallmarking requirements.
6. Hallmarking protects both consumers & jewellers
Compulsory hallmarking means that the public will always have a guarantee of quality. Likewise, legitimate jewellers’ trade is protected from unlawful competitors who might try to pass lower quality jewellery off as the “real deal”. Because it’s impossible to tell how pure a precious metal item is by simply looking at it, only official assaying can guarantee standards.
7. Today both modern & traditional assaying methods are used
Assay Office laboratories now test precious metal purity using the latest technologies, including x-ray and laser analysis. However, many objects are still stamped by hand, exactly as they were 700 years ago. Click on the below photos we took during our visit to the London Assay Office to see hallmarking in action!
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- Metal purity testing
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- Platinum analysis results
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- London Assay Office workshop
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- Ring being positioned for hallmarking stamp
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- Ring being hallmarked
8. Only officially registered hallmarks can be used
Only jewellery that carries an officially registered British or international hallmark can be sold in the UK. A hallmark will usually include the Assay Office town mark, together with 2-4 additional marks, such as a date letter, a metal standard symbol or a duty stamp. There are hundreds of registered hallmark elements. If in doubt, contact the International Association of Assay Offices for more information.
ASSAY OFFICE TOWN MARKS
9. It’s a criminal offence to misrepresent a hallmark
According to the Hallmarking Act, it’s an offence to claim that a piece of jewellery is made with gold, silver, platinum or palladium, unless it’s hallmarked as such. It’s also an offence to remove, alter, deface or counterfeit a hallmark.
10. The only exceptions to hallmarking law are items of very little weight
The hallmarking law exempts precious metal objects that weigh under a certain number of grams. This could mean small jewellery items like stud earrings or pendants. Jewellery does not have to be hallmarked if it weighs under:
- 1 gram for gold
- 0.5 gram for platinum & palladium
- 7.78 grams for silver
Want to know more about hallmarking? Contact us. We love to chat about jewellery and give advice. You can also visit the Assay Office websites for London, Birmingham, Sheffield or Edinburgh for more information.
Shop UK hallmarked jewellery at TheDiamondStore.co.uk.
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