Mar
13
Read vintage jewellery hallmarks – what are the symbols?
ByWhat are the different hallmark symbols you find on vintage jewellery. Well there can be all sorts of different marks . This is part three of my guide to hallmarking on British vintage and antique jewellery and it covers the standard symbols.
vintage jewellery hallmarks
Here is a full set of silver hallmarks on a piece of vintage jewellery. Think these are difficult to read? To me these are about the average standard of readability you can expect on an older piece as hallmarks do tend to wear away at the edges. There are several things to note here reading from left to right:
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- the initials ( this is the sponsor or markers mark)
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- the anchor ( This is the Town mark for Birmingham)
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- the lion passant ( The standard mark for English Sterling Silver)
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- the letter Z and the font this is written in ( This is the date letter)
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- the shape of the area the symbols are set into ( this helps with the dating)
The list of sponsors or makers marks is beyond the scope of this mini series although you will get to know the famous ones eg CH with a Chester town mark is Charles Horner.
There are lots of town marks however it is highly unlikely you will come across any British ones outside of this list:
Birmingham, Sheffield, London, Chester, Glasgow, Edinburgh.
You now need a Hallmark book and learn the symbol for each town – but briefly for most purposed you are looking at:
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Anchor = Birmingham
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Crown = Sheffield ( changed to Rose in 1975)
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Leopards head = London
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3 wheat sheaves = Chester
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Castle – Edinburgh
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Tree = Glasgow
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Harp = Dublin ( often included in British hallmark tables)
The Metal symbol
Lion passant ( faces left) = sterling silver
Gold has a crown and the carat number. The crown was omitted in lower carats before 1973. At this time the carat number was replaced with the fineness number:
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9 carat .375
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14 carat .585 ( from 1931)
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15 carat .625 ( only until 1931)
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18 carat .750
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22 carat .916
Platinum was not always hallmarked before 1973 when it was given the shape of an orb with a cross stuck on the top.
The Date Letter:
You will need a set of hallmark tables to look these up. Basically you find the town first and go to the section in the table for that town. You then find the series of letters with the same font and shape of hallmark to determine the date.
[...] Read vintage jewellery hallmarks [...]
I have a charm with a tall blue tree, a small blue tree and a green tree on the left. A church in the middle with three fur trees? On the right side. A house by a path to the right of the church in front of the green trees with a path leading between both buildings also a child with a black cap, black shirt an blue pants with a black dog at the bottom of the path. On the back it has a crown above Ak Kaiser then under is W.Germany then bider that is a cursive looking o then a line under the o and an m which looks like a 3 facing down. What does the symbols mean an do you have any idea of the value? Condition is excellent
Hi Amanda,
Happy to take a look but I will need photos in .jpg format
Anne
Hi,the hallmark I am trying to identify is:
RP (space) hallmark starts: crown 375 anchor A
the A is in a box it has is more like an italic,has a bit of a flourish,I think it may be mid 1970s.the next hallmark is identicle but ends with a B in a box,again lokks a bit italicy.
I think the items are ‘Nuvo’and were manafactored by R Planteur
many thanks,Karen
Hi…
The hallmark that I’m trying to identify is: NGTAN18K
I purchased a box of junk at an estate auction. In that box was a gold jade and diamond ring. It is clearly marked 18K along with the hallmark that I am trying to identify.
The ring features a row of 5 small old mine cut diamonds on both ends of the piece of jade. Also on the outside bottom of the shank there are two numbers stamped. Both are the number 2.
It looks old and was just wondering about it. Any ideas?
Thanks so much!
Hi Ellen,
Sorry but that does not sound like a British Hallmark. Perhpas the piece is for the USA? Can help with USA hallmarks but perhpas someone else can.
hi there
i have a flower shaped brooch made from aventurine with a pearl at the centre(i think).the backing metal is gold coloured also flower shaped but wth a stem.
on the back is the number 998 and below is a sheild shape toped by a crown.inside the sheild are 2 tiny gold bar shapes.
can you help?
Hi Linda,
This sounds like it is hallmarked as 9 carat gold however without seeing the marks I cannot be sure. I always suggest that you take your vintage jewellery to your local auciton house for evaluation. If you ring them before visiting you will normally find that they can help.
Anne
I have bought a brooch that looks like gold with seed pearls but there are no hallmarks or any other marks, is gold always hallmarked ?
many thanks
Brenda
Hi
It is easiest to identify gold if it is hallmarked however it is possible to find gold jewellery without hallmarks. The easiest way to get your brooch identified is to take it to your local jeweller or auciton house
Hello,
I am trying to identify hallmarks that start with a circle or oval with a AT, a crown symbol in a heart shape, a rectangle with BISH in it, a boot in a rectangle and the what looks like T6 is a rectangle.
Hi Sheila,
Sorry not something I recognise as a British hallamrk. Do you have a good clear photo?