Hallmarking
I am registered with the Birmingham Assay office. Any pieces of silver Jewellery I make which are above the 7.78g weight threshold are sent off for hallmarking.
Some information about hallmarking:
The legislation
Hallmarking in the UK has a rich history dating back to the 1300s, serving as the oldest form of consumer protection. Precious metals like platinum, gold, palladium, and silver are rarely used in their purest form. They are typically alloyed with other metals to achieve the desired strength, durability, and colour. Detecting the platinum, gold, palladium, or silver content by sight or touch is nearly impossible.
As a result, it’s a legal requirement to hallmark items made of these metals if they are to be labelled as such. However, there are specific weight thresholds for hallmarking, including 0.5 grams for Platinum, 1 gram for Gold, 1 gram for Palladium, and 7.78 grams for Silver. It’s important to note that manufacturers or importers cannot apply hallmarks themselves. Goods must be submitted to one of the four UK Assay Offices, or an Assay Office affiliated with the International Convention.
