Hallmarking Gold and Silver together on jewellery

[a1acrity]

I am planning a piece of jewellery that incorporates both gold and silver (both above the hallmarking weights) and I am wondering how to go about hallmarking the work.

I have a makers mark with Birmingham Assay but haven't made anything "mixed media" before.

Do I need to get it hallmarked with the gold or the silver (which will weigh more) or both?

There will be plenty of room for good sized marks on the reverse of the piece so I'm not concerned with the look.

[pearlescence]

You get (if memory serves) a full mark for the predominant metal and a part mark for the minor
It needs a separate hallnote

[CJ57]

Copied from Edinburgh.
Articles consisting of more than one precious metal can be hallmarked, subject to the following conditions:
• The item can only be marked if, in the opinion of the Assay Office, an ordinary person will be able to determine which part is which precious metal.
• Each precious metal component must be at least the minimum legal fineness for that metal i.e. silver 800, palladium 500, gold 375, platinum 850 (parts per thousand).
• The full Hallmark (Sponsor’s Mark, Assay Office mark and precious metal fineness mark) struck will be that of the least precious metal, in order, silver, palladium, gold and platinum. This will normally be struck on the appropriate metal.
• The minor (fineness)mark will be stamped on the “higher” precious metals. Anomalies
Where small components are used, the above may not be possible. In these circumstances the following rules apply:
• If it is not practical to stamp the fineness marks on the “higher” precious metals, they may be stamped on the lower precious metals.
• If this is not practical then the fineness marks can be stamped on another precious metal part.
• If neither of these options are practical, the full hallmark (Sponsor’s Mark, Assay Office mark and least precious metal fineness mark) will be applied on the least precious metal part and all other marks omitted.
• When a platinum article has small component parts consisting of gold and the gold parts are of a fineness of 750 parts per thousand or higher, then the article may be hallmarked with a platinum full mark and the appropriate gold fineness mark. This will not apply if the gold components are 585 or 375ppt. The gold fineness mark can be applied anywhere on the article.

[a1acrity]

Thanks, it sounds like I can get two marks which will be nice. Another bit of uniqueness is always welcome.

[camalidesign]

I just had a few bits marked at Birmingham and yes, you get the normal sterling silver hallmark with your makers mark and 925 etc and then after that they put the fineness mark for the secondary metal.

I learned the hard way as when I got my parcel back there were 5 items marked this way when I only expected 2! I had mixed up my granules.... so there were a few gold ones thrown in amongst the silver! so a pendand and a pair of earrings had gold in them unintentionally. Hard to see sometimes on 9ct yellow when the piece isn't polished but just out of the pickle... oh well!

[CJ57]

I think you only need a separate hallnote for completely gold pieces. I send mixed metals in with my silver work on the same sheet