What Does Jewelry Hallmarks Mean?

Thankfully for the antique collectors of this planet, a small handbook on UK Hallmarks is more than up to the task of identifying that mysterious hallmark. When you couple that information with that very useful plastic 10X eyeglass I keep on hinting you to buy, it will show you that the item has been verified and marked, to prove it is - what it says it is (14ct or 22ct etc). Hallmarks from Great Britain are the greatest in the known jewelry and antique world. Who says so - the rest of the Planet. Although to be fair, other countries have specific hallmarks too, it is just that they are NOT so regularly seen.

British Jewellery with a full UKHM (United Kingdom Hall Mark) is normally clearly stamped and readable after you clean it. For other courtesy fact sheets such as ‘How to Clean your Jewelry at Home or in the Workplace’ see the Antique Jewellery of the 20th Century site at: www.jewellery-antiques.com/ where you will find other information.

In Scotland today the assay mark is for Edinburgh, while in Ireland they use Dublin as the centre for marking jewellery. Pity the poor Welsh are left out again.

If it wasn’t for the famous welsh gold in the Royal Wedding bands we would never have heard of them!

There used to be many Assay offices around the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Chester mark for example. Now there are just three sites left in England, Sheffield being the last, using a ‘Rose’ on gold Jewellery (DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH ‘ROSE GOLD’ JEWELRY) as that is a shade, not a hallmark.

With Hallmarks it’s all about how you interpret or misinterpret the mark.

Is it a Flower or a Fish on a stick?
Could it be made in Austria or Spain?

A book on World Hallmarks for Silver or Gold items is a must for any dedicated amateur or trader, but they can be a little frustrating and a great waste of time in many cases.

Did you know there is a special ‘f’ hallmark which can tell you something very special about your hallmarks?
To see if you’ve got it - go to David’s website here:
www.jewellery-antiques.com

Tags: assay office, british hallmarks, gold jewelry, jewelry hallmarks, makers marks, silver jewelry