A hallmark is a series of official marks that verify the purity of an article made from precious metal.

The hallmark must show:

• the sponsors (or makers) mark
• the fineness of the precious metal (in parts per thousand) inside a shield denoting either gold, silver or platinum
• the mark of the Assay office where the item was tested

Additional voluntary marks such as a date letter (indicating year of manufacture), traditional fineness symbol and control marks may also appear.

If you sell articles described as gold, silver or platinum they must bear a hallmark. Items described as gold or silver plated etc. are not covered neither are items where the description is merely used to refer to the colour of an item.

There are some exemptions for small pieces due to the difficulty in applying the marks. The following articles are exempt from the hallmarking requirements:

• Gold - if weighs less than 1g
• Silver – if weighs less than 7.78g
• Platinum – if weighs less than 0.5g

Also exempt are:

• Antiques – items made before 1920
• Platinum articles made before 1975

Further Information
The British Hallmarking Council and the Ask Cedric website contain further information about hallmarking. You can access these websites by using the links opposite.