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Dawny
06-07-2009, 01:45 PM
I make my own jewellery from sterling silver, mainly rings at the mo, and was wondering - IF I intend to sell them does the silver need the 925 hallmark on it?

Is this something I can do, or do they need to be sent away to a place like cookson to be done 'officially'??

Please help me, I'm stuck.

MuranoSilver
06-07-2009, 03:42 PM
If they weigh under 7.78g then you can use a 925 silver stamp yourself - providing you are genuinely using 925 silver. You have to be able to prove this to Trading Standards if they ever challenge you about it.

Over that then it has to go to an Assay office for a full hallmark, either direct or through a registration service
So make em under 7.78g and stamp them yourself. ;)

Nicx

HMPjewellery
06-07-2009, 08:29 PM
Hi Nic
I have my hallmarking all sorted out but i very rarely go over the amount, so is there anywhere you can get just a 925 stamp? have found some on beaducation, with the little attachments to stamp it onto
But i was wondering if there are any uk based places?

Hannah

MuranoSilver
06-07-2009, 10:12 PM
Just stamp it on yourself (I think cookson sell the stamps)

Milomade
07-07-2009, 01:34 PM
Is it a legal requirement to stamp your work?

I'm just starting out and so don't know if Ihave to go to the expense of registering with the assay office and all that. Can I not just get a stamp made myself and stamp work myself rather than getting the assay office to do it?

Seems like a lot of hassle to send stuff off to them to get stamped as I'd have to send stuff off unfinished.

MuranoSilver
07-07-2009, 05:13 PM
If it's sterling silver & the sterling component weighs more than 7.78g then you have to get it done by the assay office. The weights are different for other metals.

A 925 stamp not a Hallmark, a hallmark has extra components such as a Makers Mark, A Fineness Mark (e.g. 925 is sterling silver) and the Assay Office mark (e.g. The Anchor for Birmingham).
It may also have traditional fineness marks (such as the lion for sterling silver) and a date stamp.

If unsure phone one of the Assay offices up and ask their advice, they're really helpful. There's also a lot of infor here...
http://www.theassayoffice.co.uk/hallmarking.html

Nicola x

Milomade
07-07-2009, 07:40 PM
So if I didn't get any of my silver pieces marked and sold them would I be breaking the law?

Is it a legal requirement?

Redkite
07-07-2009, 07:49 PM
Yes, sorry, you are not allowed to sell it without a hallmark if it weighs more than the limit.

You have to pay to register yourself with an assy office every year and you have to pay "up front" to have a stamp made up with your registration initials or symbol on it. This is kept at the assy office and when they get your piece they test it, stamp it and return it (for another fee, of course!).

The "per item" fee isn't too bad, but if you're preparing for a craft fair or whatever, you have to factor in the time delay (a few days to a week)

Milomade
07-07-2009, 07:57 PM
Sounds like an awful lots of bother.

Here's another question. If I'm making jewllery from antique tableware - sterling silver forks and spoons - would they need to be sent off to get marked?

pauljoels
09-07-2009, 11:38 PM
I am not sure on all the hallmarking rules, but have also looked into this, and on the assay websites I think there are details of discounts for students - I know it's still a hassle, but might help reduce the cost in the first instance.

AlexandraBuckle
10-07-2009, 08:41 AM
So if I didn't get any of my silver pieces marked and sold them would I be breaking the law?

Is it a legal requirement?

I thought - though i may be wrong - that you could sell unhallmarked work as long as you don't claim that it is silver or whatever, or does this only count for work underweight?

The only reason I ask is that I rang the assay office recently to ask about my tiara rings - they are tiny and very light but i normally get them hallmarked anyway.
I asked them whether i can still describe them as silver if they are underweight and unhallmarked and she said I had to describe them as made from precious metals.

So i decided to carry on getting them hallmarked as i want to describe them as sterling silver.

To me this doesn't fit in with what others have said about stamping underweight work yourself? Surely if you put 925 on it you are saying it is silver...?

Am I getting completely muddled...? Has anyone else been told a similar thing?



I find all the rules very confusing.

MuranoSilver
10-07-2009, 10:03 AM
If you phone the Assay office, they'll confirm that these are the current rules
(I just spoke to the London Assay Office ;)):

For silver: If it weighs under 7.78g then you can use a 925 silver stamp yourself - providing you are genuinely using 925 silver. You have to be able to prove this to Trading Standards if they ever challenge you about it.
(e.g an Invoice from cooksons showing that you purchased 925 wires, sheet etc).

Over that then it has to go to an Assay office for a full hallmark, either direct or through a registration service. So make em under 7.78g and you can add the 925 stamp yourself.

It's 1g for gold and 0.5g for platinum, there are different rules for mixed metals but they're all available from the Assay office.
Nicx

P.S> If you're selling silver, gold etc then you also need to have a Hallmarks on Precious Metals sign on Display (also available from the Assay Offices)

Milomade
10-07-2009, 10:20 AM
Thanks for the info - very useful. So if my pieces are under 7.78g and I don't stamp them I can still sell them but can't say that it's silver even though it is.

I'd better get myself a 925 stamp...off to look on the CG site now to see if they do them.

Milomade
10-07-2009, 10:22 AM
all I can find are these:

http://www.cooksongold.com/Findings/Pack-Of-10-Silver-Oval-Hallmarked-Tag-With-Hole-At-The-End-prcode-NVB-003X

MuranoSilver
10-07-2009, 10:42 AM
Thanks for the info - very useful. So if my pieces are under 7.78g and I don't stamp them I can still sell them but can't say that it's silver even though it is.

I'd better get myself a 925 stamp...off to look on the CG site now to see if they do them.

You CAN stamp them as long as it's under weight and you can prove it's silver. Then as it's stamped you can describe it as silver too - by stamping it 925 you are describing it as sterling silver. Call the assay office and they'll go through it :)

If you're describing things as silver at shows, craft fairs retail outlets etc then you need to have the "Hallmarks on Precious Metals" Card displayed.
again the assay office will sort you out.

Nicola

Milomade
10-07-2009, 10:53 AM
Can't find a stamp on the cookson gold site anywhere. Where can I get one? I'm currently making a load of small drop earrings and they're all under 7.78g - I want to sell these through one of my stockists in Fife as well as on my on website and want to state that they are silver.

MuranoSilver
10-07-2009, 11:00 AM
You'll find them under tools: then use the side bar to select "Marking Punches"
Here's a quick link http://www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?category=Jewellery-Tools&Range=Marking_Punches&Size=0&Type=0&show=N&prdsearch=y&pagenum=0&orderby=numpicks&numperpage=100&submit.x=12&submit.y=9

Nicola x

Milomade
10-07-2009, 11:19 AM
Thanks for the link, but I found one on eBay before I read your latest post. Thanks for all the info on hallmarking too. It's good to get this kind of info from an expert. Once my skills get better and I start making bigger more complx pieces I get my arse down to the assay office in Edinburgh. In the meantime I'm happy to go ahead and stamp everything 925.

AlexandraBuckle
10-07-2009, 12:18 PM
Thanks for clearing all this up for me! Think I get it now :)

Does make me a little cross that I was told something different. I've spent loads hallmarking stuff - nearly all of my pieces are underweight!

pauljoels
10-07-2009, 02:16 PM
I knew about having to display the Precious Metals sign when selling, but what if you are selling to a shop? Do you just have to make sure you have a copy with you so they can check it if they like?

MuranoSilver
10-07-2009, 02:23 PM
If you're selling to a shop I guess it would depend on what basis -
e.g. If the shop doesn't pay you until it sells then it would technically
still be yours (in which case you might need to provide the sign).
If it's a jewellery shop then it should have its own.

Metalicanna
24-07-2009, 06:12 PM
I bought a hallmarking stamp from Cooksons for rings which just says "SIL". Does anyone know if its OK to use this instead of 925? Also, how do you use a hallmarking stamp? I've tried hammering the stamp onto a bit of scrap silver but it doesnt leave an imprint!

Any help gratefully received.

Anna

Milomade
24-07-2009, 06:38 PM
whack it hard...

Ominicci
28-07-2009, 12:22 PM
My hallmark has been ready for use at Edinburgh for a while now (just haven't got round to making stuff recently!!) But still not sure if I will get the under 7g stuff hallmarked yet. If it is big enough to look like it should have a hallmark then I think I might e.g. rings or pendants. But earrings I might not.

ps_bond
28-07-2009, 01:42 PM
I hallmark everything I can, no matter how small. It's an extra selling point and it gives a permanent record of the maker (and people like having a hallmarked piece of custom jewellery IME). AOL encourage this attitude :D

I was at Goodwood the other week, and one of the shops there was selling a variety of items as silver (stamped 925 too) - yet without displaying the hallmarking card, nor were the items that needed to be hallmarked (large cuff bracelets are going to be well over 7.78g!). Grr.

The hallmark is there as a guarantee to the customer that the work is of at least the fineness described. Form what I've heard, the situation is very different in France, where it indicates that the tax on that fineness has been paid...

CyberPaddy66
23-08-2009, 12:55 PM
Sorry to drag up an old thread but when I spoke to the Assay office in London they also told me that we can use our own Makers Mark or Logo on all our items should we wish to do so, the Assay office keep a record of all Makers Marks and can confirm if your chosen Logo is acceptable or not.

If you are selling your stuff as White Metal then you do not need to get it hallmarked at all but why would you want to do that :lol:

mochiandmocha
25-11-2009, 02:04 PM
Hi there!
Sorry I posted a question on a different thread and I've just realized all the answers are here! THANK YOU SOOO much everyone for all these precious (pardon the pun!) details! ^_^

Just a last confirmation: So it seems it's possible to get by (as long as it's underweight, I know I know...) with just a 925 stamp and you can even have your own sponso's mark as long as it's been checked by an assay office, right? That would be great!

OK I'm off weighing my pieces ^_^!!!