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Hallmarking Hints and Tips - Part II

Hallmarking Hints and Tips - Part II:

G'day again and Welcome back...

It's time for Part II in our mini-series of articles entitled...

"Hallmarking Hints and Tips"

I trust you enjoyed the first report you received a few days ago, and have memorized the Hints and Tips from the first issue.

If you did, you'll just love today's Hallmarking Secrets which digs down into the nitty-gritty of UK British Jewelry Making.

So lets get on with your next report...

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Hallmarking Hints and Tips - Part II

by David Foard F.G.A.A.

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Six marks on British Jewelry?

Yes Six - Well sometimes...

And they are:

#1: The Maker's Mark (Usually some initials).

Not all that important for everyday items, unless you want to collect Jewelry from one maker. Silver collectors may just want to buy items from say, Bateman (I should be so lucky).

#2: The second stamp is the Assay Office mark or 'Mark of Origin'.

It simply tells you where the item came from. The most common is the LONDON Hallmark. A Leopard's Head.

Sometimes this has a crown on the Leopard's Head (until circa 1821).

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*BONUS TIP*

Modern items do NOT have a crown on the Leopard Stamp.

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The other most common Assay Office marks are from Birmingham (an Anchor).

Once there were many Assay offices around Great Britain and Ireland, the Chester mark for instance. Now there are just three offices left in England.

Sheffield is the last, using a 'Rose' on gold Jewelry

*DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH 'ROSE GOLD' JEWELRY* as that is a color, not a mark.

If you are not sure about these terms, see our Gold and Precious Metals articles for more on 'Rose Gold'.

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In Scotland there is Edinburgh, while in Ireland there is Dublin.

Pity the poor Welsh are left out again!

#3: The next mark is the Assay Quality mark.

This is shown as the 'Lion Passant' (which means 'looking ahead') and is a guarantee of quality.

This was later changed to a 'CROWN' mark with a stamp showing the quality of Gold.... 9ct or 18ct etc.

We should all be familiar with that.

#4: Then came the Date letter which is possibly the most important mark.

It changed each year so we can tell WHEN the item was made.

#5: Occasionally there is an extra mark called the 'Duty' mark.

This proved Tax had been paid but was only seen during certain periods.

#6: Our mysterious 6th Hallmark is used to commemorate Special Occasions or Events.

An example was the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.

Suffice to say if you see a Brooch with a UKHM (British hallmarks) and one of them is an Anchor with an 18 next to it and a letter 'C' next to that - it's a safe bet it was made in Birmingham in 1927...

...or was that 1952, or 1902, or, or, or..... Hmmm?

Jackson's Pocket Hallmarking GuidePocket Ed. Jackson's Hallmarks

Price: $8.92 USD - This is a STEAL for the information inside. How could you NOT need this?

Buyer Beware that man in the Pub - and get yourself Jackson's Hallmarking PocketBook.
As with most Jewelry items though, our advise has always been to buy the best QUALITY you can afford from a reputable dealer who will guarantee it.

*To summarize then*

The following marks are:Â

  • The Maker's Mark to identify the company or individual who made it.
  • The Origin Mark to shows where it was assayed - such as London etc.
  • The Assay Mark to indicate the 'Guarantee of Quality' (9ct - 22ct).
  • The Date Mark based on the Alphabet which changed each year.

And sometimes:

  • The Duty Mark to confirm 'Tax' had been paid.

Plus finally:

  • The Special Commemorative mark. Great for Collectors.

Jewelry LoupeMAGNIFIER-VIGOR 10X LOUPE BLACK

Price: $10.85 USD

Thankfully, your 10X eyeglass and your pocket book of Hallmarks sure helps a lot....

We ALWAYS recommend Jackson's Hallmarking Book because being a pocket edition you can take it with you to Auctions or Antique Jewelry Fairs etc.

Delivery is very quick through Amazon.com and their price is always competitive - you may already have an account there.

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1851491694/theantiquejew-20

Use it - Remember it's just a TOOL.

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*TIP #3*

UKHM (British Hallmarks) stands for 'United Kingdom Hall Mark' and has been in existence since 1300. Yes... 1300!

*HINT #3*

The quality mark indicates the 'Quality' of precious metal in the item.

The 9ct(.375) mark in a yellow gold piece of jewelry shows there is only 375 parts of gold out of 1000 parts of metal. Phew....

The rest of the item is NOT Gold but a mixture of Copper, Silver and Zinc!

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*TIP #4*

The Assay year was NOT a Calendar year as it began (as for London) in May.

That means it covered TWO Calendar years.

*HINT #4*

This fact is NOT the same for other assay offices around the UK with Birmingham changing in June and Edinburgh in October.

Check it because it could be a fake if it has the wrong hallmarks.

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By adding these Hints - Tips and Secrets to your Hallmarking Arsenal you will be Soooooooo.... far in front, you won't be able to hear the band play!

But we're not finished yet...

Emailed to you in just 7 days will be Part III of this very special and exclusive report on "Hallmarking Hints and Tips" where you'll discover some of the other great facts listed below.

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*Other Secrets - Hints and Tips we Reveal*

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*TIP #5*

Knowing why the letters JVWXYZ are Hallmarking Secrets.

This alone will make you sound like an expert in the eyes of those around you. You won't believe just how often it's overlooked.

*TIP #6*

Why the letters 'c' and 'f' are both special.

How do these letters apply to Antiques in general and Modern stuff in particular. These two letters can save you a fortune and NOT make you look stupid.

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*NEXT ISSUE*

Part III on "Hallmarking Hints and Tips" will be delivered to you in two days time, so keep a lookout for it in your inbox and make sure your ISP or Junk Mail Filters don't just dump it.

Get this address listed in your Whitelist or safe list.

david[AT]jewellery-antiques.com - where [AT] is equal to the @ sign you find in email addresses.

We just don't want those rotten spammers getting hold of my email using spy robots so we have 'disguised' the address that way.

I know YOU will be able to read it though, because this is my personal email and ALWAYS shows it comes from me in the 'Sender' field like this---} David Foard F.G.A.A.

The letters after my name (F.G.A.A.) show I am a Fellow of the Gemological Association of Australia and will identify the email as coming from me.

In the meantime, take care and watch the road.kind regards. David

P.S. If you have a friend or colleague who might benefit from this report, please pass this on.

Or they can get their own copy in the series by going to http://www.jewellery-antiques.com and subscribing from the form available on every page of the site.

Thanks - We appreciate your help.

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