Birmingham Assay Office | Hallmarking precious metals (2024)

FAQs

Can it be silver without a hallmark? ›

It is therefore a legal requirement to hallmark all articles consisting of platinum, gold, palladium or silver (subject to certain exemptions) if they are to be described as such. The main offence under the UK Hallmarking Act 1973 is based on description.

Gold plated base metals items cannot be hallmarked, this includes 'bonded gold' on base metal, 'rolled gold' on base metal and 'plated gold' on base metal.

Gold jewellery without a hallmark cannot be sold. If you have old un-hallmarked gold ornaments to exchange or sell, you have to get them hallmarked with a HUID.

All articles with a component to be described as gold in which the total weight of all metal is over 1 gram will need to be hallmarked. All articles with a component to be described as silver in which the total weight of all metal is over 7.78 grams will need to be hallmarked.

Hallmarking is a costly process that would drive the cost up immensely for lightweight silver items. Because of this lightweight jewellery with no precious gemstones within it, typically is not sent to be hallmarked by jewellers.

Silver tarnishes quickly, turning black, when in contact with bleach. A small spot of bleach can therefore be used to identify silver. The tarnish can easily be polished away, and silver items should leave the cloth slightly blackened by the tarnish being removed.

Gold plated pieces are required to be hallmarked only if they use precious metal as their base metal and they fall under the required weight for an object to be hallmarked. Silver jewellery is often plated with gold. In this case, the jewellery must weigh more than 7.78 grams of silver.

750 – 18 karats. 625 – 15 karat gold. 585, 583, 575 – 14 karats. 417 – 10 karat gold (typically the lowest one will find in U.S. markets) 375 – 9 karats.

Here are a few stamps or markings that you may see on your jewelry: A Number Followed by a K: If you see a 14K, 18K, or 24K on the inside of your ring or on the clasp of your jewelry and no other markings, chances are your jewelry is solid gold. GP: This stands for Gold Plating.

Real gold jewelry often has markings indicating its purity, such as "24K" for pure gold, "18K" for 18 karat gold, or "750" for 18 karat gold (750 parts per 1000 are gold). However, note that the absence of a stamp doesn't necessarily mean the piece isn't gold, as some older or custom-made jewelry might not have stamps.

Why is Indian gold so yellow? ›

In the United States, gold is often alloyed with metals such as silver, copper, and zinc to strengthen it and make it more durable. These alloys can give the gold a more white or pale yellow appearance. However, in India, gold is often alloyed with copper and silver, which can give the gold a more yellow appearance.

First, bring the strong magnet next to your gold piece and wait for the reaction. Gold is a non-magnetic metal and if you see no reaction, then it means it's the real gold. Otherwise, if you see the attraction, you're having fake gold. Gold-plated metals also tend to be non-reactive in this case.

Assay Office Mark: The Anchor symbol is the mark to show the product has been hallmarked at Birmingham Assay Office. When we send our jewellery to Assay random pieces are cut and scrapped so that the silver can be tested for purity.

The gold that the merchants buy from the customers is melted down, converted into certain carats, hallmarked and then again sold to customers. Jewellers cannot sell jewellery without a hallmarking stamp.

Most silver items include a stamp to indicate the purity of the silver being used. Items containing the purest forms of silver would be labeled . 999, but in reality, silver is too soft to be used in manufacture unless it is mixed with other metals. When metals are combined, they are known as alloys.

The easiest way to tell if sterling silver is real is by finding the imprint on your piece. Rings, necklaces, and bracelets made of sterling silver will have a “925” stamp somewhere. On rings, the stamp is usually on the inside band. Bracelets and necklaces will often have them on the clasp or on a seperate charm.

Sterling silver is an alloy made up of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper or zinc. Sterling silver pieces are stamped with 925 to mark their authenticity.

Hallmarking on gold jewellery and related items is set to become mandatory from April 1, 2023. The government has said that all gold jewellery and artefacts sold after March 31 will have to carry a Hallmark Unique Identification Number (HUID).