Required by law
Hallmarking
I make everything from recycled sterling silver and 14ct gold-filled wire. Every piece I sell is well under the weight at which UK law requires a hallmark, so none of them carry one — and by law they don't need to.
I still display the official notice from the British Hallmarking Council, because it explains how the whole system works and what to look for. It's below, and every word of it is written out underneath in case the picture is hard to read.
What the notice says
The same information as the picture above, written out — so it can be read aloud, searched, translated, and made larger.
What a hallmark looks like
In the UK it is illegal to supply or offer to supply any item as Gold, Silver, Platinum or Palladium unless it is hallmarked. Exemption weights apply: 7.78gm for silver, 1gm for gold and palladium, and 0.5gm for platinum.
Who?
The registered mark of the company or individual who placed the items on the market. On the notice this is shown as two letters, A and B, each in its own circle.
What?
The precious metal content in parts per thousand, inside a specific shape for each metal.
| Metal | Mark | Shape it sits in |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 925 | An oval |
| Palladium | 950 | Three joined circles, one digit in each |
| Gold | 750 | An octagon |
| Platinum | 950 | A house shape, flat along the bottom |
Where?
Each of the four UK Assay Offices has a separate mark.
| Assay Office | Its mark |
|---|---|
| London | A leopard’s head |
| Birmingham | An anchor |
| Sheffield | A rose |
| Edinburgh | A castle |
International
International hallmarks must contain the scales of the Common Control Mark. The notice shows the Common Control Mark for gold, marked 750, for silver, marked 925, and the plain scales used for any metal.
When a hallmark is not required
These are the exemption weights referred to above. An item below its weight does not have to be hallmarked.
- Silver weighing less than 7.78gm
- Gold weighing less than 1gm
- Palladium weighing less than 1gm
- Platinum weighing less than 0.5gm
Displayed in Accordance with the Hallmarking Act 1973. © British Hallmarking Council