Gold and Silver Hallmark Symbols
One of the earliest types of consumer protection is the hallmark. You, the buyer, are protected by it. A hallmark is required for jewellery (or any other item) that is marketed as gold, silver, platinum, or palladium in order to ensure its authenticity and quality.
Laws requiring silver and gold hallmarking do not apply to investment gold and silver, such as bullion bars and coins. They are regarded as raw materials, and the London Bullion Market Association guarantees their purity. This explains why instead of using trademarks, refiners and mints stamp the purity and fineness of their products.
Gold and Silver Compulsory Hallmark Symbols
Three mandatory marks make up the hallmark: a sponsor’s symbol, an assay office symbol and a fineness symbol. Additional symbols may be found, but they will be described later. There will always be three main symbols to look out for, these are:
1. Sponsor’s Symbol
The registered trademark of the person or business that sent the item to the assay office for hallmarking is known as the sponsor’s mark. If you are lucky enough to own Bleyer’s special hand-poured silver charity owl bars, you’ll know that the mark for this is represented as ‘BYB’ (the official mark of hand-poured producer, Backyard Bullion).
Browse Bleyer's Hand Poured Silver Square Owl Bars
2. Assay Office Symbol
Today in the UK, a hallmark is struck in one of four independent assay offices. They test the purity of precious metals and then label the product with the proper symbols if it complies with the purity requirements set forth by law. This provides an internationally recognised standard.
The 4 Main Assay Offices in the UK:
- Birmingham Assay Office
- Edinburgh Assay Office
- London Assay Office
- Sheffield Assay Office
Did you know – The Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office, in London, began hallmarking in 1327, making it the oldest assay office in the UK?
3. Fineness Symbol
This number indicates the purity of precious metal used. This means that the number tells you the percentage of precious metal content, in the alloy. For example, the fineness mark of 9-carat gold is 375. This tells us that the alloy comprises at least 375 parts gold per 1000. The metal type is indicated by the shape the number is surrounded by.
Optional Marks
There is a selection of other markings that can be found on hallmarked gold and silver. These include; fineness symbols, a date letter, and an international convention mark.
1. Traditional Fineness Gold Symbols
These are small symbols that will also tell the contents of the precious metal. These symbols represent sterling silver, Britannia silver, gold, palladium, and platinum.
(Source: London Assay Office)
2. Date Letter Symbol
This mark is used to determine how old it is. The hallmarked letter depends on the year of when the metal was hallmarked.
3. International Convention Symbol
The Convention on the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals (known as the Hallmarking Convention) is an international treaty between contracting states, which aims to eliminate trade barriers in the cross-border trade of precious metal articles.
Signed in Vienna on 15 November 1972, the Convention came into force in 1975. Its text was mainly drafted and negotiated in Geneva and London, and Goldsmiths’ Hall is widely considered the Convention’s ‘birth place’.
The UK has been a signatory to the International Convention on Hallmarks since its inception 1972.
Some marks of member countries of the Convention are shown below. The shield design around the number will vary according to whether the article is gold, silver, platinum or palladium.
(Source: Birmingham Assay Office)
Reputable Sources
The hallmarking law still applies when making an internet purchase. Make sure you are aware of the seller’s location. Ensure your safety by making a purchase from a reputable merchant. Whether purchasing offline or online, be on the lookout for proof that the seller is a member of a recognised trade organisation. What do you do if it is not hallmarked? Contact your local Trading Standards Authority. For more information, please visit the British Hallmarking Council.
We are extremely proud of Bleyer’s own charity silver owl bars, made by Backyard Bullion and hallmarked in Edinburgh. You can purchase them via our website or by calling one of our friendly Bleyer team on 01769 618618.
Here To Help
If you’d like to speak to a member of our award-winning customer service team for some precious metal investment guidance. We’d be delighted to hear from you. Call us on 01769 618 618, or you can email us at sales@bleyer.co.uk, and we’ll get back to you asap.