UK Hallmarking & The Law

In the United Kingdom, consumer protection is strictly governed by the Hallmarking Act 1973. Under this law, it is a criminal offence for any business to describe or sell an item as "gold," "silver," "platinum," or "palladium" unless it bears an officially recognized hallmark from an independent UK Assay Office. Stamps on the ring, such as “18ct” or “plat” are made by the maker or a jeweller to specify what the ring is made of, but this is not an official hallmark and therefore a stamp such as that is not sufficient for the ring to be described by us as 18ct gold or platinum. A hallmark is your legal guarantee that the metal has been scientifically tested and verified for purity.

In accordance with the UK Hallmarking Act 1973, we do not market or sell unhallmarked precious metal items weighing above the legal exemption limits (1 gram for gold, 7.78 grams for silver, 0.5 grams for platinum, and 1 gram for palladium or gold pieces dating from pre- 1950 and platinum from pre -1975) as legally certified precious metals. Where an item exceeds these weights, does not date from pre-the date exemptions and does not bear an official UK hallmark, it will be described by its visual appearance (e.g., "yellow metal" or "white metal").

Our Purity Guarantee & Testing Policy

Whilst hallmarking rules are strict, there are many beautiful pieces on the secondary market, crafted in precious metals that do not bear an official hallmark. Please be assured that every ring in our collection is tested for metal purity before it is listed for sale. We do not sell silver, non-precious metal or plated/filled/vermeil gold. Do get in contact if you are confused about the metal of a specific ring and we will be delighted to discuss it in more detail.

Where items lack official hallmarks, we conduct internal testing using professional electronic precious metal analyzers, acid testing, or X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology. Due to the technical limitations of non-destructive surface testing (which may not detect underlying base metals in heavily plated, filled, or capped items), if asked what the metal tests as, we offer these test results in good faith as an estimate of metal purity based on our professional assessment.

The Official Approved Hallmarks

To help you identify and understand the stamps inside your jewelry, please refer to the official British Hallmarking Council Dealer's Notice displayed below. This chart outlines the compulsory marks—the Sponsor’s Mark, the Millesimal Fineness Mark, and the Assay Office Mark—that guarantee the authenticity of your piece.