Hallmarking - How Does It Work?

A hallmark comprises of several component marks added to items made of gold, silver, platinum, or palladium. It is named after Goldsmiths’ Hall, the birthplace of hallmarking over seven centuries ago. Hallmarks provide information about when and where an item was tested and marked, the metals used and their purity, and the person who submitted it for hallmarking. 

Sponsor’s Mark:  

The first mark, known as the Sponsor’s or Maker’s Mark, indicates who submitted the item for assaying. Typically, this is the individual or company that created it, and the mark consists of their initials within a shield shape. The Sponsor’s Mark must contain between two and five letters. Each mark is unique, with various fonts and 45 different shield shapes to prevent confusion among makers with the same initials.  

 Traditional and Millesimal Fineness Marks:  

The second and third marks are the Traditional and Millesimal Fineness Marks. The Traditional Fineness Mark indicates the type of metal used in the item. The Millesimal Fineness Mark provides additional information, specifying both the precious metal type and its purity on a scale from   0–1000. A 999 mark signifies the metal is almost pure. Each precious metal's purity mark has a differently shaped border, making it easy to distinguish metals of the same colour, like silver and platinum.  

 Assay Office Mark:  

The fourth mark identifies the Assay Office that tested and hallmarked the item. There are currently four Assay Offices in the UK, each with its own mark: a leopard for London, an anchor for Birmingham, a rose for Sheffield, and a castle for Edinburgh.  

 Date Mark:  

The fifth mark is the date letter, indicating when the item was hallmarked. This letter changes annually on January 1. Once the alphabet is completed, the font, case, and shield shape around the letter are altered to ensure each year’s date letter is unique. 

Dealers Notice:

Below you'll find a copy of our Dealers Notice. You can also find a link to it in the footer of our website. A Dealers Notice comes in two forms, one for shops to display to customers, and the second for online jewellery shops to display to their online customers. It is a requirement by law that any precious metal jewellery being sold in UK is hallmarked and that this notice is displayed.

WPM Goldsmith's Dealers Notice

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