Hallmarking began somewhere back in the thirteenth century most likely in France. Its purpose was to test coins made of silver and gold so that the correct amount of precious metal was actually in the item. It was the original consumer protection law.

In England in 1327 it became law that if you were selling an item made of precious metal it had to be tested. Manufacturers were compelled to take their articles to the hall where the Assay Master would test the precious metal content. Once it passed the test then he stamped the item with marks indicating the fineness or content of the precious metal and eventually other stamps were added such as a date, maker and the assay office mark. So the term hallmarking came into existence.

Right up until 1773 if you tried to dupe your customers by counterfeiting the hallmark stamps the offence was punishable by death. Thank God it was then changed to just the offender being sent off to one of the penal colonies for a mere 14 years! Today in the UK it is just 10 years in the clink.

So what do these marks look like?
The marks tell three basic things: the maker (or his sponsor if he is not available), the fineness or amount or percentage of precious metal in the item and the assay office where it was tested. The maker will have his own particular stamp in letters, the fineness will be a number such as 925, and the assay offices mark will be a symbol such as the current Birmingham offices mark which is an anchor. There are other non compulsory marks as well.

Over the centuries these marks have changed significantly and thats a great thing for dating antique jewellery and watches. For instance, when a certain mark was used for the year then we can accurately date the time an item may have been made. When marks changed along the way that helps us quickly identify the general period of manufacture.

Does Jewellery need to be assayed today?
Legally in the UK and some European countries it certainly does. Some other countries allow a self regulation to take place. Other countries which do not consider themselves as major producers have no requirement. The stamp such as 925 on silver jewellery is not hallmarking. So in Australia you will see 9 carat or 925 stamped on a silver ring but this is an indication that the manufacturer claims the correct content of precious metal has been included but this is not hallmarking which takes place in the UK.

What does it mean to you the purchaser of an 18 carat engagement ring?
Well, if the manufacturer has cheated you and your ring is only 95% precious metal then you would never know. It is so minute an amount that you would not perceive it. The only way you, as a layman, will ever be able to tell is by comparing the ring to another piece of 18 carat gold jewellery. However, if a large manufacturer on the world stage saves a fraction of gold on every item then that would be an enormous profit saving at the end of the year. So while this law is there to protect you do you really care? The manufacturer has to get the item to an assay office, insure its delivery, wait a few days to get it back and then pay for the service. So who is really going to pay for all this? You of course!

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