You'll see the word "hallmarked" on most of our gold and platinum pieces. It's not just a nice-to-have — in the UK, it's a legal requirement for the vast majority of precious metal jewellery, and it exists entirely to protect the buyer.
What is a hallmark?
A hallmark is a set of tiny stamped marks applied to a piece of precious metal by one of the UK's official Assay Offices (London, Birmingham, Sheffield, or Edinburgh) after the metal has been independently tested and verified. It confirms the actual purity of the metal — not just what the seller claims it is.
What the marks actually show
A full UK hallmark typically includes:
- Sponsor's mark — identifies the maker or company that submitted the item.
- Metal and fineness mark — states the precious metal (gold, silver, platinum, palladium) and its purity, e.g. 750 for 18ct gold (75% pure) or 916 for 22ct gold (91.6% pure).
- Assay office mark — shows which of the four UK Assay Offices tested and marked the piece.
Is hallmarking always required?
By law, items above a certain weight must be hallmarked before they can be described as gold, silver, platinum or palladium in the UK. The exemption weight for gold is very low (1 gram), which means almost all gold jewellery, aside from the very lightest pieces, legally requires it. Selling an unhallmarked item as gold above that threshold is a criminal offence under the Hallmarking Act.
Why this protects you
Without independent testing, there's no way to verify a purity claim just by looking at a piece. Hallmarking means a neutral third party, not the seller, has confirmed what you're actually buying. It's also why hallmarked jewellery tends to hold its resale and part-exchange value better — the next buyer doesn't have to take your word for it either.
Our commitment
Every eligible piece of gold and platinum jewellery we sell, from our 22ct gold chains to our diamond engagement rings, is UK hallmarked. If you're ever unsure what the marks on an existing piece of jewellery mean, bring it in — our team can talk you through it, or you can browse our FAQ page for more on gold purity and care.
Ready to browse hallmarked gold and diamond jewellery? Take a look at our ring collection or get in touch about a bespoke piece.