When investing in any piece of jewellery, you'll often hear the word hallmark. These little stamps may be easy to overlook, but they're one of the most important details on any piece of precious metal jewellery.
Whether you're choosing a handmade ring, a vintage jewel, or commissioning a bespoke piece, understanding hallmarks can help you buy with confidence.
A hallmark is a series of official marks stamped onto a precious metal piece of jewellery by an independent UK Assay office. They test and confirm that the metal meets the legal standard of purity and is exactly what it claims to be.
Hallmarking has protected jewellery buyers in Britain for hundreds of years and remains one of the oldest forms of consumer protection. Under UK law, gold (over 1g), silver (over 7.2g), platinum (over 0.5g) and palladium (over 1g) over certain weight limits must be hallmarked before it can legally be sold as a precious metal item.
The Meaning of Each Mark
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![Antique Ring. Makers mark hallmark]()
The Makers Mark
This is the makers mark. The company or person who made your ring. When you register at the assay office you can choose your initials and the outline shape that you would like.
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![Antique solid gold ring hallmarks metal number]()
The Metal Number
This number is the traditional way of representing the metal carat. A number 9 for 9ct Gold. -
![Hallmark carat 9ct gold antique ring hallmark]()
The Carat Number
The number indicates the metal fineness. 375 means 375 parts per 1000.375- 9ct.
575- 14ct
750- 18ct
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![Assay office location antique ring]()
The Assay Office Location
This symbol shows where the piece was hallmarked. The anchor symbolises Birmingham.The other active assay offices are London (Leopard’s Head), Edinburgh (Castle)and Sheffield (Rose).
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![Hallmark age the year it was hallmarked]()
The Year It Was Hallmarked
This letter on the end represents the year in which your piece was made/ hallmarked.
Each year is a new letter chronologically in the alphabet. When it reaches the end of the alphabet it goes back to the letter A but uses a new font. This means each year can be distinguished.
