Hallmark

Hallmark

A mark, or number of marks, made on gold, silver or platinum jewellery or plate to confirm that its quality is up to the correct legal standard. In much of Europe that would be 18 carat for gold; in Britain the legal standards are 22, 18, 14 and 9 carat.

The Sponsor's Mark - the initials
belong to the article's maker
or sponsor

The concept of the hallmark originated in England in the thirteenth century and systematic hallmarking began in 1300. Shortly thereafter it came under the control of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in London, who still operate one of four authorised assay offices hallmarking jewellery in Britain. Indeed, strictly speaking, ‘hallmark’ means the mark of the Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, but the term has taken on a broader connotation.

The Quality Mark - certifies
the quality of the gold and
indicates its carat quality

Britain maintains some of the tightest regulations concerning hallmarking. Assay offices in London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh check all carat gold production weighing over one gram and their hallmarks are a guarantee of consumer protection.

The Assay Office Mark - shows
where the gold was tested for
quality. Birmingham has an
anchor; Sheffield a rose;
Edinburgh a castle; and
London a leopard

In France, every piece of jewellery weighing more than three grams must be submitted to the Bureau de la Garantie in Paris for checking and stamping. Similarly, all jewellery in Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain is monitored by government assay offices. Hallmarking of jewellery is voluntary in Belgium, Switzerland and throughout Scandinavia. Compulsory hallmarking is the norm in much of central and eastern Europe.

Elsewhere in Europe, the jewellery industry polices itself; each manufacturer is supposed to stamp every item with an identifying mark for the company and the gold content.

The Date Letter - a letter of the
alphabet which changes every
year and indicates in which
year the article was made,
e.g.1997 was an 'X' and
1998 a 'Y'

Government hallmarking is not limited to Europe. The British and French both introduced it to countries that they administered in colonial days, so offices may be found in Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.