If you look at your precious jewellery, you should see the little symbols which make up the hallmark. You may have to squint to see it as the size of the hallmark is often adjusted to fit the size of the piece.

After I’d been making jewellery for a year or so I felt ready to start selling it, but as silver and gold are regulated it’s not as simple as setting up a site and selling as you risk the wrath of trading standards and a very hefty fine!

Legally in the UK silver jewellery weighing 7.78g or above must be hallmarked.  Gold and palladium pieces must be hallmarked if over 1g and platinum pieces if they weigh over 0.5g. This is because it isn’t always possible to guarantee by looking at a piece of jewellery that it is in fact sterling silver or 18ct gold.  The Assay office ‘assays’ (analyses) the piece to ascertain it is what you claim it is. Usually x-rays are used to check the purity but occasionally a minute sample of the metal is removed.

The practice of hallmarking started in 1238 when Henry III made the first attempt at regulating the standard of gold and silver, and in 1327 a charter was passed.  Goldsmiths Hall in London would ‘mark’ the metal to prove its provenance and finesse – hence ‘Hall Mark’

So with a bit of trepidation, I applied for my sponsors mark.  There are only 4 Assay offices in the UK; London, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Sheffield, and every maker’s sponsor mark is unique for identification purposes.  I have been registered with the London Assay Office for over 11 years.

A hallmark basically explains the ‘who, ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘when’. Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!