I attended a craft show last weekend and spoke to a lady who said she was a silversmith too. She actually bought gold and mainly silver jewellery and took it apart and re-crafted it into something else. Surely if the item was secondhand and had a hallmark originally what happens if its over the 7.78 grams allowed, does it have to be re-hallmarked. I have an identity bracelet which my mum gave me for my 21st and I was wondering about making it into a hammered pendant, it is quite a heavy piece, but it could be made nice with perhaps a small stone in it, I dont want to sell it but if I did, what are the rules.
Also...... I make jewellery out of sheet silver and silver wire, pierce, drill and solder into rings, pendants etc am I a silversmith or goldsmith. It was an ongoing discussion as someone said silversmiths make things like cutlery, whereas goldsmiths make jewellery.