Hallmarking And Assay Compliance
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Hallmarking &
Assay Compliance
Current Hallmarks
Hallmarking
And Assay Compliance
BMG 14K, 18K, 14K white gold and Platinum is extensively tested
at:
1) Point of manufacture.
2) Point of export to the UK (on items made overseas).
3) Finally by Goldsmiths Assay office in London UK (Goldsmiths
is now the BMG registered office for Assay testing and marking
in the UK.
As from April 2002 all of BMG jewellery with a weight of over
1g (i.e. excluding nose studs single clip in or tapped balls
and some ball closure rings) will have its final testing and
marks applied by the Goldsmiths Assay office in London. These
marks will now be on every piece both sold internally within
in the UK and overseas regardless of any lesser regulations
required. This will apply to all BMG jewellery sold retail and
wholesale. Once again maintaining the BMG standard of excellence.
The Marks on all BMG jewellery with a weight of over
1g as from 1st April 2002
1) Sponsors mark. Jewellery (over 1g) will be marked
with BMG our registered sponsored hallmark. This is of course
your guarantee that the product you have purchased is a genuine
BMG product. Should you have purchased an item such as a nose
stud that cannot be marked, as it is too small and needs to
retain a smooth surface, the attached letter act as your guarantee
and certificate of authenticity.
2) 
The Leopards head. Mark of Goldsmiths,
UK’s and the worlds oldest and most respected assay office for
precious metal verification.
3) 
18-ct yellow or white gold
4) 
14-ct yellow or white gold
5) 
Platinum
6) 
Sterling silver where relevant i.e. some of our toe rings
are silver.
Index
Current
Hallmarks
What Is Hallmarking?
In the UK a Hallmark consists of three marks
which give you the following information:
- who
made the article
- what
is its guaranteed standard of fineness
- the
Assay Office at which the article was tested and marked
For example:
|
|
|
|
| AB
Sponsor or maker |
750
Standard |
Anchor
Assay Office |
Index
Sponsor's Mark (formerly known
as the Maker's mark)
This shows the person or company responsible
for sending the article to the Assay Office. The sponsor may
be the manufacturer, retailer, importer, etc.
Index
Assay Office Mark
There
are now 4 British Assay Offices:
|
|
 |
|
|
| Birmingham |
Edinburgh |
London |
Sheffield |
The separate Assay Office marks for imported goods were discontinued
in 1999.
Index
Standard Marks
These show the standard of fineness - the
purity of the precious metal, in parts per thousand.
e.g.
The background shape shows the metal (gold). The
figure shows the article consists of 750 parts of gold by weight
to 250 parts of other metals - 75% gold. This is equal to 18
carats (18 parts in every 24), the traditional way of describing
gold purity.
Index
Current Gold Standards
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 9
carat |
14
carat |
18
carat |
22
carat |
|
|
Index
Current Silver Standards
Index
Current Platinum Standards
Index
Commemorative Marks
Commemorative
marks may also be added if a sponsor chooses. These are marks
to commemorate special events. The most recent was the Millennium
Mark which was struck during 2000. The Millennium mark was very
popular and was applied to over 5 million articles during 1999
and 2000. A new mark was made to commemorate the Golden Jubilee
of Queen Elizabeth II and was applied throughout 2002 only.
Index
Convention
Marks
As
an alternative to the traditional UK Hallmarks articles may
be applied with a Convention Hallmark which may have been applied
by any one of the countries included in the International Convention
on Hallmarking.
Index
