Hallmarks provide a fascinating glimpse into the history and authenticity of antique jewellery. These small but significant marks can reveal a jewel’s origin, metal purity, maker, and age. First introduced in the 13th century to regulate quality and protect buyers, hallmarking has since evolved, with different countries developing unique systems of symbols, letters, and numbers to certify craftsmanship and provenance.
In the UK, hallmarking was not compulsory for handmade jewellery until 1973. This means that if your antique or vintage piece lacks a hallmark, it doesn’t necessarily indicate inauthenticity - it may simply predate this requirement. Whether you're examining an Edwardian ring, an Art Deco bracelet, or a Victorian locket, decoding hallmarks (or the absence of them) can unlock rich details about a piece’s past and its place in jewellery history.
In this article, we explore the origins of hallmarking, how it has shaped the jewellery trade, and why these tiny marks are important for identifying and understanding antique jewellery.
The origins of hallmarking can be traced back to the reign of King Edward I. In 1300, Edward I introduced a statute that required all gold and silver items to be assayed (tested for purity) and marked with a leopard’s head. This was the first attempt to ensure that all silver produced in England met a consistent standard and was one of Europe's earliest known legal regulations concerning metal purity. The leopard's head is the oldest known hallmark still in use and was originally crowned; the crown was removed as part of hallmarking reforms in 1822.
A selection of town marks for London
In 1327, King Edward III granted a charter to the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, establishing it formally at Goldsmiths' Hall in London. This is where the term ‘hallmark’ originated, as it referred to the marks applied at the Goldsmiths’ Hall. The maker’s mark was introduced in 1363, ensuring that individual goldsmiths could be identified. By 1478, the date letter system was introduced, allowing items to be traced to a specific year of assay.
As the demand for gold and silver grew, new regulations were introduced. The gold standard was raised to 22 carats in 1576, while the silver standard was reaffirmed as sterling. Over time, additional assay offices were established across the country to accommodate the increasing need for hallmarking. The Birmingham and Sheffield assay offices were founded in 1773 in response to petitions from local silversmiths.
After the Great Recoinage of 1696, England introduced a higher silver standard known as Britannia silver (95.8% purity instead of 92.5%). This was done to prevent coin clipping (shaving off small amounts of silver from coins) by ensuring that sterling silver items could not be melted down for coinage. Britannia silver was marked with a lion’s head erased and the figure of Britannia instead of the traditional leopard’s head and lion passant. The sterling standard was reintroduced in 1720, but Britannia silver remained a legal alternative and can still be used today.
Hallmarks for Birmingham, 18ct, 1900, J.H makers mark
Hallmarking laws continued to develop over the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1739, a statute standardised maker’s marks, requiring goldsmiths to destroy their old marks and register new ones in a standardised format to prevent fraud. By 1757, counterfeiting hallmarks became a felony, punishable by death. The introduction of a duty mark in 1784, in the form of a sovereign’s head, indicated that a tax had been paid on hallmarked goods. This duty mark was abolished in 1890 when the tax was lifted.
Before 1904, foreign-made jewellery did not require a UK hallmark, making it difficult to verify quality. In 1904, the import mark was introduced to distinguish foreign-made jewellery from domestic pieces. An example of this is the Chester import mark, a triangle with a "C" inside, used between 1904 and 1962.
Hallmarks for London, 18ct, 1901
During World War II, restrictions on gold and silver resulted in a decline in hallmarking activity. In 1941, a utility mark was introduced for gold wedding rings, as their weight and caratage were limited. The post-war economic conditions also brought changes in hallmarking demand and manufacturing trends.
The 20th century brought significant changes to hallmarking. The Hallmarking Act of 1973 consolidated all previous hallmarking laws into a modern legal framework. The act mandated that most new jewellery and silverware made and sold in the UK must bear four key hallmarks: the sponsor’s mark, the assay office mark, the fineness mark, and the date letter (the latter became optional in 1998). The Act also aligned UK hallmarking practices with international standards, allowing British hallmarks to be recognised worldwide.
Hallmarks 18ct, BH makers mark
Several UK assay offices have played a role in hallmarking history but have since closed. These include:
Chester (1687–1962): Marked by a sword and three wheat sheaves.
Exeter (1701–1883): Recognised by a castle with three towers.
Glasgow (1819–1964): Featured a tree, fish, and bell.
Newcastle (1702–1884): Identified by a castle turret.
Norwich (1565–1702): Used a castle above a lion passant.
York (1559–1856): Marked by a cross with five lions passant.
Today, the components of a hallmark include:
Sponsor/maker's mark
This mark identifies who submitted the item for hallmarking. This requires registration with one of the UK’s four assay offices.
Assay mark
This indicates where the hallmark was struck. The UK has four main assay offices: Birmingham, represented by the anchor, Edinburgh, represented by the castle, London represented by the leopard’s head and Sheffield, represented by the rose. Dublin’s assay mark is Hibernia, a seated woman with a harp, symbolising Ireland.
Fineness mark
This denotes the purity of the metal, measured in parts per thousand. For example, 9ct gold has a fineness mark of 375, meaning it is 37.5% pure gold, with the remainder being other metals.
Date letter
Historically, a date letter indicated the year of hallmarking. Different fonts and styles of letters can trace the piece’s exact age. However, since 1998, date letters are no longer compulsory.
