Hallmarking is the process of certifying the purity and authenticity of precious metals. It involves stamping a series of marks or symbols onto the Jewellery to indicate its metal content and the quality or standard it meets.
These marks typically include:
The Assay Office Mark: This represents the location or authority that performed the test on the metal. inOre Jewellery is registered with the Edinburgh Assay Office, which is represented by a castle symbol.
The Metal Quality Mark: A number that indicates the purity or fineness of the metal, such as "925" for sterling silver or "750" for 18ct gold and ''375'' for 9ct gold.
The Date Letter: A non-compulsory mark, a letter 'A' may be added which indicates item was made/hallmarked in 2025. This letter changes on the 1st Jan each year.
The Maker’s Mark: This represents the manufacturer or designer of the item. Our maker's mark at inOre Jewellery is HMC.
Hallmarking serves to protect consumers by ensuring they are buying genuine, high-quality precious metals. It also helps prevent fraud and ensures compliance with legal standards in many countries.
In the UK, hallmarking of all gold jewellery is a legal requirement and for silver items it is a legal requirement to hallmark any item over 7g in weight. This is ensures that the metal content is accurate and that the item complies with specific purity standards.