Gold Hallmark

When buying jewellery look for a Gold Hallmark stamped on the precious metal. This represents that the gold jewellery has been independently tested to guarantee that it conforms to all legal standards of purity; without which it is illegal for any trader to sell or describe a precious metal article as gold, silver or platinum.

The Hallmark contains three or four elements which indicate the Assay office that approved it, the purity mark and the Sponsor’s mark, a date letter and usually but not always, a maker’s mark. Assay offices are responsible for the testing, smelting and refining of gold and silver bullion and foreign coins. The Birmingham Assay Office is one of the four remaining assay offices in the United Kingdom; it is also the largest Assay Office in Europe.

It is important to familiarize yourself with trading standards and knowledge of hallmarking especially if own or intend to buy special jewellery, for example an engagement ring. This will help in identifying fake or replicated pieces so you can be confident about what you buy.

All our staff at Outwork are trained to recognize hallmarks on any jewellery you may want valuated or altered here and they can help you decipher any vital clues it might contain to a piece’s age or origin; as every country has a different system of hallmarking, ranging from simple to complex.

All the pieces of jewellery crafted at Outwork can be sent to the Birmingham Assay Office for a suitable method of analysis, and will be assessed, based on the laboratory’s knowledge and technical expertise, before stamping it as appropriate.

If you would like to know more about the Gold Hallmark found on the back of gold rings and other gold jewellery, please give us a call at 0121 688 8808 to arrange a consultation. Alternatively, you can also walk into our office at the Jewellery Quarter to speak to one of our craftsmen in person. Our address is 23/24 Hall Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6BS. And our email is sales@jewelleryservices.com