I wanted to take the time to explain a little bit about hallmarking and make you aware of why my jewellery is either recycled silver or gold but may not have a Hallmark on it.
What is a hallmark?! A hallmark is a mark applied to jewellery or other items made of precious metals by the UK Assay Office it has been a part of the UK jewellery industry since the 1300’s! Hallmarking is essentially a guarantee of quality and fineness of the metal used however it bares no relation to the workmanship used to make the item or where the item was made.
A hallmark consists of three marks, the assay office mark (there are several assay offices within and outside of the UK), the sponsors mark (the unique mark of the person who made the item) and the fineness mark (i.e. 925 silver or 375 gold). Marks representing year of hallmarking can be added additionally.
The Law. The 1973 Hallmarking Act deems it is an offence to describe when selling any item as made of a precious metal without a hallmark UNLESS said items are below a certain weight. For silver the weight limit is 7.78g and for gold is 1g. This is why I have not hallmarked the items I am currently selling due to them coming in under those weights outlined by the Hallmarking Act but by informing my customers of this I am adhering to the Hallmarking Act.
Is there a hallmark for recycled silver or recycled gold? In short the answer is no. There are some makers out there who add an additional ‘salvage’ mark to their pieces to represent the use of recycled materials but as recycled metals consist of the same composition as new metals there is no way for the Assay Offices to test for recycled materials. When shopping for sustainably crafted jewellery I recommend seeking information on the makers website regarding supply chain, if this isn’t clearly outlined don’t be afraid to approach the maker directly. Any crafts-person using recycled materials should be happy to be open and transparent about their supply chain. You can find out more about my supply chains and how I ensure they are ethical and responsible here within the environmental and ethical section of my T&C page.
Why not hallmark anyway? It is possible to hallmark items that weight below the thresholds outlined above and I have considered doing this. However hallmarking comes at a cost and adds time to the process as items have to be posted to the Assay Office, marked and then returned prior to dispatching to customers. This also adds to the carbon footprint of my designs which I am keep to keep to a minimum. The Assay Office do offer fast turn around times but again, there are cost implications to these and as a business these costs would have to be added on to the price for each piece of jewellery. So in summary, I have chosen not to hallmark pieces whilst they remain under the weight threshold to keep costs and lead times to a minimum.
Can I request a hallmark on my order? Yes! If you would particularly like your jewellery to be hallmarked I am more than happy to do so as long as you are happy to cover the additional cost of doing so and are aware this will delay your item being dispatched to you. Just let me know prior to placing your order so I can invoice you the adjusted price.
