Continuing my series on hallmarking on vintage and antique jewellery by taking a look at current British hallmarks. These are relevant to vintage jewellery as the basic system has been around since 1973 although it was updated in 1999.

Here are the important things to know about hallmarking on British jewellery since 1973:

• - You can only describe an article dating from 1973 onwards as gold, silver or platinum of it is fully hallmarked unless it weighs below Silver 7.8 grams, Gold 1 gram and Platinum 0.5 gram)
• - A set of British hallmarks is : The sponsors mark, the metal standard mark,the assay office mark, the date letter
• -The orb mark is used for platinum and the crown for gold ( along with the fineness), the lion remains for silver

1977 hallmarks

This has since been amended:……….

 April 2007 also sees another amendment to hallmarking legislation in respect of items originally brought on to the market pre 1950. 

Before 1975, many precious metal articles (e.g. rings, whatever their weight, other than wedding rings) were exempted from hallmarking. Platinum was not hallmarked at all. Any article covered by these exemptions, if (a) of minimum fineness* (b) proved to have been manufactured before 1975, may still be described and sold as precious metal.

However, even articles which should have been hallmarked when they were made, but bear no hallmark, are now treated as exempt if they were manufactured before a specific date. Since 1999, the date has been 1920, but the amended legislation alters this date to 1950. Therefore, any pre-1950 item may now be described and sold as precious metal, if the seller can prove that it is of minimum fineness and was manufactured before 1950.

- Hallmarks are now: Makers mark, fineness and assay office mark ( not no date letter is required but it is optional)

Convention Marks:

Convention marks became legally acceptable instead of hallmarks in 1976. Convention marks are struck by any country which is part of the convention . These countries are: UK, Austria,Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Latvia and Lithuania.

A convention mark consists of a pair of scales with the metal fineness number ( the common control mark) the fineness number and the assay office mark. The assay office marks can be any from the countries mentioned above.

Part four of AntiquesAvenue’s guide to Hallmarks on Vintage Jewellery and Antique Jewellery:

Gold brooch

Most of the Vintage and antique Jewellery we see today dates between the mid Victorian era and the 1970s so these are the most important Hallmarks to be able to read if we are looking at Vintage jewellery.  The hallmarks during this time are complicated and often the jewellery has been worn and the hallmarks have become faint so they may be difficult to read. These hallmarks are for silver and gold only as Platinum was not  hallmarked during this time. You can find the date letters, town marks and makers marks as well as the metal purity as hallmarks at this time.

GOLD (1854 to 1973):

• From the Middle ages until 1853 there were only two standards of gold 18 and 22 carat
• In 1854 the lower carats of 9 (.375), 12 (.5) and 15 (.625) were introduced
• Between 1854 and 1974 articles made of the lower carats were  marked with their carat mark and value.
• 18 and 22 carat golds would have the carat mark and a crown hallmark in England and a Thistle in Scotland
• In 1932 the 12 and 15 carat golds were replaced by 14 carat (.585)

Silver Jewellery

Silver (Victorian times to 1973)

• There were just two standards of silver Britannia (.958) and Sterling ( .925) with sterling being by far the most common
• Britannia silver is denoted by the Britannia mark
• Sterling silver is hallmarked by the lion passant (England) and a Thistle ( Scotland)

There are all sorts of additional hallmarks and markings you can find on a piece of jewellery – Monarchs heads and special event commemorative marks for example. By the way if you see fine scratches in markings these are not hallmarks but identification marks made by various jewellers and pawnbrokers over the years.

If you find a piece of antique jewellery without hallmarks it may still be made of gold or silver but  to be certain you need to get the metal tested and this is a skilled process which takes time to learn and care to carry out accurately.  

 The law changed in 1973  and is become quite a bit stricter and more uniform. I will discuss the hallmarks on more contemporary jewellery in the next part of my guide.