Hallmarking "tags"

[bustagasket]

I got my tutor to sign my form for the assay office (must remember to dig it out of my college bag and send it off!!) but as some of you may have noticed i tend to make delicate stuff, which i am not sure will be all that easy for hallmarking without damage, or without showing too much

So i was wondering if i could have little tags near the catch or whatever on bracelets and necklaces, for the hallmark to be done on, i have been told this is allowed, but my question is, how can i go about making something individual, but easily repeated for the tags, (i have drawn a leaf that i like but it has serrated edges), with perhaps my initials or something on one side and the hallmark on the other?

Also, how big would it need to be as i dont want a tag that overpowers the jewellery? and how do you make sure the assay office knows where you want the mark?

Any suggestions would be gratefully received as i have a few pieces now that i would really like to get marked up with minimal chance of damage at the assay office.

[geti-titanium]

Never heard of this - I would have thought the hallmark would only apply to the tag and not what it was attached to. I could be wrong I'm just a man

[bustagasket]

Never heard of this - I would have thought the hallmark would only apply to the tag and not what it was attached to. I could be wrong I'm just a man

lol i was praying no -one would say that!!!

[Jayne]

Never heard of this - I would have thought the hallmark would only apply to the tag and not what it was attached to. I could be wrong I'm just a man

If that's the case, why do Cookson et al sell 925 tags?
J x

[geti-titanium]

Phew! Good job I put a disclaimer in - still seems wrong though

[snow_imp]

Su, when I spoke to a really nice man at the Edinburgh assay office he said that using permanent marker to "mark" where you want the hallmark to be placed is really useful to them. Only if they cannot put the mark where you want it will they do something different - don't know how true that is given other members of the forum have said the mark sometimes ends up where they don't want it.

Also, I haven't actually sent any pieces for marking yet - waiting for my punch to be made now.

'cos I've been doing the chain maille items I've been wondering about using a tag too.

[bustagasket]

Thanks anne, i thought i had read somewhere about pen marks but i wasnt sure, long as i can get the marks off later lol

[snow_imp]

Thanks anne, i thought i had read somewhere about pen marks but i wasnt sure, long as i can get the marks off later lol

Oh yes, I asked about that too - sometimes they'll remove it when they clean the area to make the mark - otherwise nail varnish remover is good apparently!

[bustagasket]

Oh yes, I asked about that too - sometimes they'll remove it when they clean the area to make the mark - otherwise nail varnish remover is good apparently!

Woo! thanks *adds to shopping list*

I really dont want just plain old tags tho, any ideas on making my own consistantly?

[mizgeorge]

You can have a tag hallmarked, and yes, they sell tags specifically for this. I've always followed the guideline that the ring holding the tag must be closed (soldered). I find the whole process a bit wooly on some of this, my maille pieces (and many others) have no closed or soldered links at all, the same applies for a lot of wireworked items, which makes something of a mockery of hallmarking, as it would be incredibly easy to simply remove the tag and put it onto something else.

Su, I generally use round tags (because they're easy to punch out), but you could also use any blank - you can buy some pretty shapes now, including things like hearts and leaves.