Sundari Phone Number
Sundari Logo
Sundari Text
Hello Guest! Welcome to Sundari Jewellery Online
Shopping Cart
Home > Silver Hallmarks

Silver Hallmarks



The value of your diamond is determined by four main characteristics - cut, colour, clarity and carat weight as explained below:

Quality of Cut:Styles of Cut:
Stone Cut Diagram Stone Cut Types
Colour: Clarity:
Stone Colours Stone Quality
Carat:
Stone Carat Types



Current Hallmark Symbols


What is a Hallmark?

Until 1998, a Hallmark consisted of four COMPULSORY MARKS. Since 1998 the date letter has become optional but the other three symbols remain compulsory. The symbols give the following information:

* who made the article
* what is its guaranteed standard of fineness
* the Assay Office at which the article was tested and marked
* the year in which the article was tested and marked

 Hallmark Symbol AB
AB Sponsor or maker		 Hallmark Symbol 750
Standard Mark		 Hallmark Symbol Anchor
Assay Office Mark		 Hallmark Symbol J
2008


Sponsor's Mark (formerly known as the Maker's mark)

This shows the person or company responsible for sending the article to the Assay Office. The sponsor may be the manufacturer, retailer, importer, for example.

Standard Marks

These show the standard of fineness - the purity of the precious metal, in parts per thousand.

e.gThe background shape shows the metal (gold). The figure shows the article consists of 750 parts of gold by weight to 250 parts of other metals - 75% gold. This is equal to 18 carats (18 parts in every 24), the traditional way of describing gold purity.



Current Gold Standards: Gold Hallmark Symbol 375
9 Carat		 Gold Hallmark Symbol 585
14 Carat		 Gold Hallmark Symbol 750
18 Carat		 Gold Hallmark Symbol 916
22 Carat		 Gold Hallmark Symbol 990
-		 Gold Hallmark Symbol 999
-
Current Silver Standards: Silver Hallmark Symbol 800
-		 Silver Hallmark Symbol 925
Sterling		 Silver Hallmark Symbol 958
Britannia		 Silver Hallmark Symbol 99
-
Current Platform Standards: Platinum Hallmark Symbol 800 Platinum Hallmark Symbol 900 Platinum Hallmark Symbol 950 Platinum Hallmark Symbol 999

Assay Office Mark

There are now only four British Assay Offices in existence, but there have been more in the past.

Birmingham Hallmark Symbol
Birmingham		 London Hallmark Symbol
London		 Sheffield Hallmark Symbol
Sheffield		 Edinburgh Hallmark Symbol
Edinburgh


Optional Marks

In addition to the Compulsory Marks a sponsor may wish to incorporate any of the traditional marks which have been struck on British articles over the centuries and which have been recognised throughout the world.

Date Letter

This will tell you in which year the article was tested and marked.

Commemorative Marks

Special Marks to commemorate significant national events may also be added if a sponsor chooses. The Millenium Mark to celebrate the year 2000 was very popular and was applied to over 5 million articles of jewellery and silverware. The most recent commemorative mark was to honour the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2002.

Other Marks

Other marks have been used historically for example, the Duty Mark and classic marks such as the figure of Britannia to signify Britannia Silver.

This symbol does not appear in all hallmarks, but if it does, it will tell you that the item was marked during a year when duty was levied on gold and silver by the Crown. Duty marks will appear on items marked at the Birmingham Assay Office from 1784 until 1890.

Convention Marks & Other Acceptable Hallmarks

As an alternative to the traditional UK Hallmarks articles may be marked with a Convention Hallmark which may have been applied by any one of the countries included in the International Convention on Hallmarking.

Following a ruling by the European Court of Justice, the UK is required to accept other national hallmarks. Under the guidelines of the British Hallmarking Council.