Ever wondered what the little markings on the side/inside of your jewellery mean?
I thought I would put together some information on what hallmarking is and why it is important.
Hallmarking has been around for centuries in the UK and is an important part of the jewellery industry. It helps to confirm the purity of the metal as well as who made it and where it was assayed.
Did you know - Because each sponser mark is unique meaning you can trace who made a piece of jewellery back hundreds of years by contacting the relevant assay office where a piece of jewellery was hallmarked? How amazing is that!
There are four assay offices in the UK, London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh. I have chosen to have my hallmark registered with Edinburgh and have my own unique design with their assay office. It is a legal requirement to hallmark all pieces that are over a certain weight in the UK. Silver over 7.78 grams and gold over 1 gram need to be sent off and hallmarked. Some of my silver pieces that are under 7.78 grams will be sent off for hallmarking. Each item description explains if it will be hallmarked or not. If you would like to enquire about getting a piece hallmarked that isnt hallmarked as standard then please get in touch and I can quote to have this included.
My hallmark consists of:
- Sponser's/Makers Mark - the initials of my company name SAJ
- Fineness Mark - 925 for Sterling Silver
- Traditional Fineness Symbol for Silver - Lion facing left
- Assay Office Mark - A castle for Edinburgh
- Date Letter - Z for 2024