Why Is A Hallmark Important?Updated 2 years ago
The Heritage of Your Purchase.
Did you ever watch Antiques Roadshow, or similar programs where people bring their family treasure to an expert, hoping to learn that it’s worth thousands of dollars or pounds? If not, give it a try - it’s fascinating. The owner tells the professional a little bit about how they came to have a particular object, and an incredibly knowledgeable individual explains its history, who made it, and how old it is before telling the owner what it's worth. They do this with everything from furniture to baseball cards, textiles to paintings. Perhaps we are biased, but we think it’s even more exciting when it relates to jewelry!
Whether it’s on a TV show or at Sotheby’s, when experts look at a piece of jewelry, they’re looking for hallmarks and maker's marks to trace the piece's history. This is why these marks are so important.
They are a mark of quality, craftsmanship, and of provenance - all things you want to be sure of when purchasing fine jewelry, especially when the piece you purchase today may belong to your children’s children one day! If future generations don’t know the story of the jewel, a hallmark will help them unlock its history.
What Is A Hallmark?
Every piece of jewelry we sell at My Irish Jeweler is hallmarked. But what is a hallmark? As there is no hallmarking system in the USA or Canada, we thought it might be useful to explain what these marks are and why they are an ancient form of consumer protection that has benefited buyers in Ireland for almost four centuries.
A hallmark is an official stamp or a series of strikes on an item made of precious metal. In Ireland, that happens in the picturesque grounds of Dublin Castle in Dublin's city center. The Irish Assay Office was established in 1637 by a Royal Charter from Charles I to supervise the hallmarking of each gold and silver piece throughout Ireland, and it is still one of the most respected Assays in Europe.
Assay Standards.
The Assay tests and certifies all submitted items of precious metal manufactured in this country, whether jewelry or decorative items. The following are important points to note:
Silver, gold, platinum, and palladium are considered precious metals.
Unlike other countries, Irish jewelry has no exemptions for weight, so whether the piece is delicate or sturdy, it must be hallmarked by law.
Metal is stamped based on minimum standards with no tolerances. This means that if your item of jewelry is hallmarked as ten karat gold, that is the least possible fineness of the metal. This means it must contain a minimum of 41.7% pure gold.
Jewelry is not usually made from pure precious metals; however, the alloys of metal used are regulated to specific percentages by law. One of the best-known examples is Sterling silver: you will always see it stamped as 925. This is because it is 92.5% pure silver alloyed (mixed) with 7.5% copper. This is a recognised international standard. Another example is fourteen karat gold: stamped as 585, this is because it contains 58.5% pure gold. The Assay has specific marks for each metal.
The Company of Goldsmiths runs the Dublin Assay Office. This is an independent body with powers enacted under Irish law to ensure consumer protection when purchasing items of precious metal. With state-of-the-art laboratories and testing methods, they retain their original mission to prevent consumers from being subjected to fraud and sub-standard products.
Each company or maker registered with the Assay must resubmit their application every ten years to ensure compliance with current regulations.
Makers must pay to submit their products for testing, but as you can see, this process benefits both the seller and the consumer. The seller can show proof of the quality of their wares, and the customer can be assured that they are getting the real deal.
As you can see, a hallmark is easily worth its weight in gold!