Hallmarking questions

[mizgeorge]

Exactly my problem Carole. I'm also confused as Steve's advice above seems to contradict previous information from London and other Assay offices.

[Patstone]

I always understood that only the precious metals had to be over the weight allowed i.e 7.78g for silver and 1g gold etc. So if you had a copper bangle with a sterling silver motif that weighed only say 6 grms, that it wouldnt need hallmarking. Is this correct or not. Do sterling silver earrings, if each individual earring is less than 7.78g need hallmarking.

[SteveLAO]

Patstone - yes you're right, the copper and silver bangle with a total weight of 6g would not need to be marked as it comes under the 7.78g threshold for silver marking but a copper and silver bangle, with, say, 6g of silver and 10 g of copper, so total weight of 16g would need to be marked as the total weight of the piece is over the 7.78g threshold. In your example of earrings, if each silver earring weighs less than the 7.78g threshold then they will not need to be hallmarked

Mizgeorge - Tell be how/where you're confused and about the contradictions and I'll try to help you.

Caroleallen - We won't know for sure - clearly if it's a large lump then it's obvious and if it's a tiny amount then it's also obvious. At the end of the day, mixed metal marking is not a requirement unless you wish to describe your article as such - you can just have the one hallmark without the additional part mark - and the application of the mixed metal marks is at the discretion of the assay offices.

Theresa - It's difficult for me to comment on an individual case - I presume you ticked the "mixed metals" box and gave details on the hallnote? It may be, for example, that we were unable to get a confirmed test on the other elements. We will do it if its possible, or it may be that it would be difficult for the man in the street to be able to identify which was which, but as I mentioned above, it is at the discretion of the assay office. I take it you weren't charged extra then?

[Wallace]

I sent mine in, with a piece of gold that is clearly not a dab, ticked the relevant box for mixed metals, identified it on the note... Still only 925 mark.

[SteveLAO]

Mixed metal marking is at the discretion of the assay office and as I previously mentioned there may be a number of reasons why the part marks were not added. It's really difficult to comment without actually seeing the piece though, but I would say that if it's doable then we do it! It's not like us to turn away your money!

[Wallace]

Mixed metal marking is at the discretion of the assay office and as I previously mentioned there may be a number of reasons why the part marks were not added. It's really difficult to comment without actually seeing the piece though, but I would say that if it's doable then we do it! It's not like us to turn away your money!

Hi Steve, it was clearly doable. Attachment 7812. I wouldn't be mentioning it unless it was.

[SteveLAO]

hmmmmm....I can't answer your question Wallace! Why don't you include it with your next parcel, mark it for my attention, and I'll investigate further for you?

[Wallace]

hmmmmm....I can't answer your question Wallace! Why don't you include it with your next parcel, mark it for my attention, and I'll investigate further for you?

Thank you Steve, will do. Appreciated as always. Will have to defer selling it for a few weeks. Lol

[Patstone]

Well Steve all I can say on this matter is that it will kill the jewellery trade if I understand it correctly.
You can make for instance a copper bangle which weighs 100 grams, then add a silver ball say -- 1 gram and it has to be hallmarked, so the postal charges alone will be about £12, and the hallmarking on top of that, who would buy a copper bangle for around £30. I know I certainly wouldnt. So presumably if you made a silver earring with a copper flower that would also have to be hallmarked even if it was under the 7.78grams as its mixed metals.
My understanding of hallmarking was that it was semi precious metals, i.e sterling silver, fine silver and gold, etc that needed to be sent for hallmarking.

[SteveLAO]

Patstone - I'm not sure someone would want to make a 100g copper bangle and add 1g of silver to it, but if they did, and they wanted to describe it and sell it as silver and copper then they would need it hallmarked yes.
(Most designers in this example would not use silver, but another silver coloured metal, or silver plate the ball, to obtain the same look.) When you think of the past, this was not possible to have hallmarked at all! I think designers have become far more aware and do bear in mind the current regulations when they come to designing things using precious metals. Of course regulations don't suit everyone, but the pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to mixed metal marking, and far more items can now be sold as, and described as, having the precious metals they contain, which historically wasn't possible. Far from killing the jewellery trade, it has expanded the opportunities amongst designers, with more and more creating items with mixtures of metals, knowing that they can now be marked and sold with a hallmark. Just as crazy as your copper bangle was the situation with expensive swiss watches made of steel and gold, which historically must be sold as steel and "yellow metal". (Would you pay thousands for a watch described like that?) Now they can describe them as steel and 18ct gold, and the item can be hallmarked.
Your understanding is correct...items of silver, gold, platinum and palladium need marking, even if they are mixed with other metals, and fall under the appropriate regulations if you wish to describe and sell the item as such.