What is Hallmarking?

The Hallmarking Act 1973 was introduced to ensure that any precious metal item to be sold in the UK is independently tested by an Assay Office in order to guarantee the fineness of the metal. The UK is one of the only countries in the world to make this a legal requirement for all items above the specified weights; 1.00g for gold and palladium, 7.78g for silver, and 0.50g for platinum. You will have some of the highest levels of consumer protection in the world when you commission an item of bespoke jewellery from us.

You will see four hallmarks on our bespoke jewellery pieces:

The Sponsor’s Mark

This is a compulsory mark that tells you who is selling the item (and in our case, who made it too). Our sponsors mark is “LDS” in a rectangular box.

The Common Control Mark

This mark is not compulsory but is often included. It depicts a set of scales, usually with the fineness number in the middle, confirming which precious metal the jewellery is made from.

The Fineness Mark

Another compulsory mark, this will be three numbers telling you the fineness of the precious metal, i.e. 750 means 75% pure gold, or 750 parts per thousand. You will see one of the following marks on your bespoke jewellery from us:

375 (9ct gold) | 585 (14ct gold) | 750 (18ct gold) | 916 (22ct gold) | 925 (sterling silver) | 950 (platinum)

The Assay Office Mark

The final compulsory mark, telling you which Assay Office has tested your jewellery. There are four Assay Offices left in the UK; we use Birmingham as that’s where our sponsor’s mark is registered at a sub-office within the casting house.