British Sterling Silver Hallmarks - Your Guarantee  |
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Treasures To Be Passed From Generation-To-Generation
British sterling sterling is uniquely collectible because of a system created nearly seven hundred years ago. Incorporated under a Royal Charter, this system guarantees the purity of the silver, identifies the maker of the piece, the year it was created, and which of four Assay offices oversaw the testing of the piece. Only those pieces that conform to its highest standard of purity receive a British hallmark.
The original form of consumer protection, these hallmarks preserve the value of British sterling silver by allowing pieces to be identified centuries after they've been created.
A British Hallmark denotes that the article has been independently tested by one of the four assay offices and that it conforms to 92.5% silver, the legal standard for purity. 100% silver is too soft so other metals are combined to add hardness. Typically there is 7.5% copper added for strength.
The British hallmark on sterling silver is your guarantee that the piece of jewelry, thimble, spoon, pillbox, or frame contains the maximum quantity of silver.
A British hallmark consists of these symbols. |
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