Hallmark

Hallmark is an official mark stamped onto a precious-metal object to indicate information about its metal content, origin or date. Hallmarks are particularly important when examining antique and vintage jewellery because they can help establish the metal standard, maker, assay office and, in some cases, the year in which a piece was registered or assayed.

British and Irish jewellery can carry several different marks. A fineness mark indicates the purity of the precious metal, while a maker’s or sponsor’s mark identifies the registered person or company responsible for submitting the item for assay. An assay office mark identifies where the piece was tested, and a date letter may indicate the year of hallmarking in systems where date letters were used.

Hallmarking systems have changed over time and differ between countries. British hallmarks are particularly important in antique jewellery, with established assay offices including London, Birmingham, Chester, Edinburgh and Sheffield. Irish jewellery may carry marks associated with the Dublin Assay Office, whose history is an important part of Irish silver and gold jewellery.

Hallmarks can provide valuable evidence when dating and authenticating jewellery, but they should not be considered in isolation. Marks can be worn, altered, incomplete or difficult to read, and some antique jewellery was never hallmarked. The construction, gemstones, manufacturing techniques, style and provenance of a piece should therefore also be considered.

Hallmark should not be confused with a simple metal stamp. A stamped number such as “18K” or “750” can indicate gold purity, but a full statutory hallmark may contain several additional marks depending on the country and period.

At Weldons, hallmarks are considered alongside the design, construction, materials, condition and provenance of each antique or vintage jewel when assessing its age and authenticity.

Purpose: To identify precious-metal purity and other information
Common information: Fineness, maker/sponsor, assay office and date
Typical metals: Gold, silver and platinum
Historical importance: Particularly valuable when dating and researching antique jewellery

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Weldons

We love jewellery!! Weldons is a fourth generation family jewellers with over 100 years experience in supplying top grade certificated diamonds and rare and unusual pieces of jewellery for every occasion. We specialise in one-off pieces of vintage and estate jewellery, engagement rings and anniversary rings. We also stock one of the widest ranges of antique Irish silver in the world, from rare 17th and 18th century pieces to modern giftware and tableware.