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Thread: Hallmark/Assay office or not?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2017
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    Default Hallmark/Assay office or not?

    So this has been a slow burner for me. I have been wanting to make jewellery for a few years and as I work another job, while getting set up, 2020 is going to be the year. I’m totally self taught and still learning as I go, it’s all very slow.
    I’m going to mainly be making all my jewellery from recycled items, some very old silver items, some not so old like silver cutlery. So here’s where it gets tricky. Will I have to go down the route of hallmarking my work. I will be creating necklaces, rings etc of silver, I will make the chains myself, but then I will be putting very old silver pendants and such items on it that are not hallmarked but silver.
    Is it the weight of the whole item when finished for silver 7.78g say if a necklace, as I could have beads and other things on it, but my silver chain will be under this weight and the old silver pieces will be older than 1950. As I’m starting out, I don’t want to go down the hallmark route of getting things sent away to the assey office and have a makers mark, or am I confusing two things? obviously I can stamp my chains 925, but I don’t want to put a stamp on the old pieces as it will ruin the look of them. I don’t see a lot of people making the sort of Jewellery I want to sell so I can’t compare.
    Any help, if I’ve made sense I want to do it right.
    Thank you.


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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    It is my understanding that it’s illegal to repurpose silver hallmarked items without the assay office removing the hallmark. If you are mixing old and new silver then it would require the assay office to test and assay the pieces and be aware that if they are not of any standard they will probably scrap them. I’ve never been in this situation so I’m not certain Whether they scrap or return, I think the former more likely.

    Repurposing silver cutlery is a bit of a bugbear with some of us because there seems to be a big market for it and more often than not the sellers are circumventing the law. The date of the silver as far as I’m aware has no relevance.
    A makers mark without a hallmark has no legal meaning, it doesn’t prove to the buyer that the work is silver only that you made it.
    If the total metal weight of an item is over 7.78gms then by law it must be assayed. Mixing old and new silver isn’t the best idea unless you’ve had the old silver tested to confirm its quality.
    Peter will be able to give you the low down on this as we’ve discussed it in the past when there was a representative from LAO on the forum

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2017
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    The silver I want to use isn’t hallmarked and I think this is why I can’t find any examples of my idea anywhere.

    This is so annoying if you can’t mix old and new items together to make new pieces of jewellery.

    As we all know silver is so easily tested in various ways.

    I might call the assey office for some advice.

    Thanks


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  4. #4
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    If it isn’t hallmarked how do you know it’s silver? It may also be foreign silver of a lower grade which wouldn’t pass assay.
    We all have to work within the law so yes taking advice from the assay office would be a good idea. I have 40 years experience and have been registered for assay since 1979 but haven’t used what you suggest.
    Last edited by CJ57; 20-12-2019 at 03:34 PM.

  5. #5
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    Yes all the rules as stated by Caroline apply, except of course if you are selling it as 'White Metal', or simply giving it away., Dennis.

  6. #6
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    You only need to hallmark if your selling it and its over said weight. Also you may run into problems with the nickle laws old silver can contains this.If you save up a few items its not so expensive and I find it adds value to your work. The biggest question I get asked "is it real silver does it have a hallmark ?"

  7. #7
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    "it’s illegal to repurpose silver hallmarked items without the assay office removing the hallmark",

    Just out of interest does that apply if you melt it down

  8. #8
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    The law is clear and fixed on this. It's law, not a set of vague trade practices. Just one of the things you have to know before getting into a business. But get it wrong and you face prosecution from Trading Standards
    Author: Pearls A Practical Guide
    www.pearlsapractical.guide
    www.Pearlescence.co.uk

  9. #9
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    No Bob, most sold scrap goes into the melt anyway. It’s the repurposing which I see a lot of locally, using forks and spoons to make bangles etc. We’ve had the discussion on here in the past and trading standards aren’t really on the ball about it or seem to care in the scheme of things.
    I’ve recently bought repurposed plate items and I did mention all this to him, he told me there are numerous fb pages where people are quite merrily doing what we all know is illegal and are up for an argument, I should add he wasn’t one of them.
    Last edited by CJ57; 20-12-2019 at 05:33 PM.

  10. #10
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    It would not be a re-purposing if you just bend it around a bit. But you should not add anything or solder anything new on. I seem to remember that the assay office will strike out an old mark for free (though presumably you would pay shipping) but not sure anyone would want something with a crossed out hallmark...
    It is illegal for the next month anyway to sell items in breach of EU nickel regs. Wonder what will happen about that after Jan 31? Will we all be itching while chomping on chlorinated chicken?
    Author: Pearls A Practical Guide
    www.pearlsapractical.guide
    www.Pearlescence.co.uk

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