Hallmarking dates back to the 1300s when Edward I was King of England. Edward I passed a Bill to prevent frauds being committed and established the testing and marking of precious metals including gold & silver.
Guardians for the trade went to the workshops assay their work and apply the leopard’s head mark. Silver had to be of sterling standard (92.5% pure silver) and the standard for gold was 19.2 carat known as the ‘touch of Paris’. In 1478 the gold standard was lowered to 18 carats.
Since 1327 The Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office has taken over from the Guardian of the craft and is where hallmarking began. It has been testing and hallmarking precious metals for over 700 years and it is one of the oldest forms of Consumer Protection.
I am proud to be using the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office London to hallmark my jewellery and silverware for over 30 years. They have a reputation for excellence in hallmarking.
A hallmark is an official stamp on precious metal jewellery that guarantees its purity and authenticity.
Hallmarks confirm the quality of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, protecting buyers and proving the metal’s authenticity.
Hallmarking began in 1327 under King Edward I and is one of the oldest forms of consumer protection.
A full UK hallmark usually has five parts: maker’s mark, assay office mark, traditional fineness symbol, millesimal fineness number (e.g., 925 for sterling silver), and a date letter.
Check the hallmark. Sterling silver is marked 925, and gold is stamped with a carat or fineness number (e.g., 750 for 18ct).
Sterling silver is 92.5% pure (925), while Britannia silver is 95.8% pure (958) and slightly softer.
No. In the UK, silver under 7.78g and gold under 1g are exempt, but many jewellers hallmark all items for assurance.
At one of four assay offices: London, Birmingham, Sheffield, or Edinburgh.
The date letter shows the year the jewellery was hallmarked. Each year uses a unique letter style.
No. Many countries have hallmarking systems, but the UK’s is one of the oldest and most trusted worldwide.
925 means the jewellery is sterling silver, made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals for strength.
