Hallmarking — the marks, the law and the exemption weights

How to read the mark on your piece

Read the marks left to right. On our pieces you will find three:

1. Sponsor’s mark — the registered mark of the party that submitted the article for assay. It identifies who is responsible for the article, not who made it.
2. Millesimal fineness — the precious metal content in parts per thousand, inside a shaped surround that indicates the metal. 925 in an oval is sterling silver. 375 in a rectangle with clipped corners is 9 carat gold.
3. Assay office town mark — a leopard’s head for London.

Millesimal fineness, by metal

What we do about the exemption weights

Being under an exemption weight is lawful and common — a 2 g silver pendant does not need a mark. What is not acceptable is leaving you unable to tell which situation you are in. So every product page states the net metal weight in grams and says, in words, either that the article is hallmarked and where, or that it falls below the statutory exemption for its metal and is therefore unmarked.

There is also a guard in the code behind this shop. Before any item is rendered, its net metal weight is checked against the exemption for its metal type. If an article is over the limit and carries no hallmark, it is not displayed and cannot be bought — it does not appear in the catalogue, in search or on a direct link. That check runs on every page load rather than being a step someone has to remember.

Which pieces carry a mark

Hallmarked at the London Assay Office — 9 pieces

• Garnet Band Ring 5 mm — 9ct Gold — 2.10 g of 9ct yellow gold, over the 1 g exemption
• Amethyst Cocktail Ring 10 mm — 8.40 g of 925 sterling silver, over the 7.78 g exemption
• Aquamarine Stud Pair 5 mm — 9ct Gold — 1.40 g of 9ct yellow gold, over the 1 g exemption
• Lab-Grown Diamond Pendant 0.25 ct — 9ct Gold — 1.60 g of 9ct yellow gold, over the 1 g exemption
• Lab-Grown Diamond Stud Pair 0.20 ct TCW — 9ct Gold — 1.20 g of 9ct yellow gold, over the 1 g exemption
• Emerald Stud Pair 4 mm — 9ct Gold — 1.50 g of 9ct yellow gold, over the 1 g exemption
• Blue Sapphire Stud Pair 4 mm — 9ct Gold — 1.30 g of 9ct yellow gold, over the 1 g exemption
• Blue Sapphire Band Ring — 9ct Gold — 2.80 g of 9ct yellow gold, over the 1 g exemption
• Citrine Cocktail Ring 10 mm — 8.90 g of 925 sterling silver, over the 7.78 g exemption

Below the exemption weight, lawfully unmarked — 34 pieces

These are solid metal at the fineness stated. The exemption concerns marking, not the alloy.

• Garnet Solitaire Pendant 6 mm — 2.10 g
• Garnet Stud Pair 4 mm — 1.10 g
• Amethyst Oval Pendant 8×6 mm — 2.60 g
• Amethyst Drop Earrings — 3.40 g
• Aquamarine Pendant 7×5 mm — 2.40 g
• Aquamarine Bar Necklace — 4.20 g
• White Sapphire Stud Pair 4 mm — 1.20 g
• White Topaz Pendant 6 mm — 2.00 g
• Emerald Pendant 6×4 mm — 2.30 g
• Lab-Created Emerald Ring 7×5 mm — 4.60 g
• Cultured Pearl Stud Pair 7 mm — 1.40 g
• Cultured Pearl Pendant 9 mm — 1.80 g
• Moonstone Cabochon Pendant 8 mm — 2.50 g
• Moonstone Cabochon Ring 10 mm — 5.20 g
• Ruby Solitaire Pendant 5 mm — 2.20 g
• Ruby Stud Pair 3.5 mm — 9ct Gold — 0.86 g
• Lab-Created Ruby Ring 7 mm — 5.40 g
• Peridot Pendant 7 mm — 2.40 g
• Peridot Stud Pair 5 mm — 1.30 g
• Peridot Trilogy Ring — 5.80 g
• Blue Sapphire Pendant 5 mm — 2.20 g
• Opal Cabochon Pendant 8×6 mm — 2.60 g
• Pink Tourmaline Pendant 6 mm — 2.30 g
• Opal Stud Pair 5 mm — 1.50 g
• Citrine Pendant 8×6 mm — 2.50 g
• Blue Topaz Pendant 8 mm — 2.70 g
• Tanzanite Pendant 6×4 mm — 2.30 g
• Turquoise Cabochon Ring 10 mm — 5.60 g
• Blue Zircon Pendant 6 mm — 2.40 g
• Family Birthstone Pendant — three stones — 3.10 g
• Rainbow Bar Necklace — five stones — 4.80 g
• Two-Stone Toi et Moi Ring — 5.10 g
• Raw Crystal Point Pendant — 1.90 g
• Agate Slice Cabochon Pendant — 3.60 g

Plating is not fineness

A hallmark describes the metal of the article, not a coating on it. Where a piece is plated we say so in the declaration block and we use the correct term for the process — see the metal section of the declarations page. No plated item is described as solid gold anywhere on this site, and we do not use the word vermeil for a gold layer thinner than 2.5 microns.

Where to check for yourself

The four UK Assay Offices publish guidance on reading marks, and the British Hallmarking Council oversees the system. If you want a piece independently checked, any UK assay office will do it. If a mark on something we sold you does not read as this page describes, write to us and we will take the item back and investigate — see complaints.