Skip to content
7 April 2021
In this article we will explain what a hallmark is, its history and the role of hallmarks in France today.
We will also cover the guarantees given to you by G-Silver, suppliers of Sterling Silver 925 jewellery produced in France and Italy.
A hallmark is an official mark applied by the manufacturer or importer of an item made of precious metal to indicate its origin, or by the state to guarantee its fineness.
In order to make working with precious metals possible, alloys are created with other metals. The fineness, measured to the millesimal, makes it possible to note the purity of the platinum, gold and silver contained in a piece, indicating to the nearest millesimal the fineness (or alloy) of a metal (i.e. the ratio of the mass of the metal to the total mass of the alloy it contains).
Every type of metal has its own hallmark. Hallmarks have evolved over the centuries and also differ from country to country.
We will deal with these various points:
- The history of hallmarks in France
- Hallmarks in France today
- Guarantees at G-Silver, your wholesalers for Sterling Silver 925 jewellery
Every type of metal has its own hallmark. Hallmarks have evolved over the centuries and also differ from country to country
France has been home to more than 5000 different hallmarks since the Middle Ages. Officially, this guarantee was created during the time of Louis IX and modified by successive kings. The aim is to prevent the abuse of precious metals. A Parisian charter requires the fineness of all pieces to be guaranteed. It was in 1460 that the two hallmarks that can be recognised today appeared: the silversmith’s hallmark and the metal hallmark. At the time, it was limited to silver, but was then extended to gold. Colbert revised this regulation and, in 1674, announced a reform imposing tax on precious metals. It became mandatory to affix 4 different hallmarks to each piece.
On 9 November 1797, the hallmark requirement extended to platinum. The upheavals of the French Revolution (abolition of privileges, ending of indirect taxes, numerous frauds…) generated new laws which, on 10 May 1838, lead to the current system.
The hallmark is the imprint created on a metal, whereas the tool used is known as a punch. The punch is a steel rod, about ten centimetres long, one end of which is bevelled, ending with the figurative design of the hallmark. Since 3 February 2015, laser marking has been possible – this guarantees the fineness of the most fragile or complexly shaped works without the risk of deterioration. This technology also allows for precise and fast marking.
The hallmark of fineness or guarantee
Today, in order to be sold legally, a piece of silver jewellery must have a fineness of at least 800 millesimal. For new pieces, there are three degrees of fineness authorised on the French market: 999, 925, and 800 millesimal. But the shape and symbol of the hallmarks corresponding to these degrees of fineness vary depending on whether the pieces have been checked by destructive or non-destructive methods. In fact, “the so-called ‘small silver guarantee’ mark, showing a head of Minerva cut out and surrounded by a simple engraving, is a guarantee from the state to the consumer that the fineness of the piece is at least in accordance with the legal minimum requirement of 800 millesimal,” explains Kevin Mills, inspector of customs and indirect laws in charge of the legislation for the guarantee of precious metals. Professionals wishing to guarantee a higher degree of fineness have to resort to destructive, more expensive methods, which explains why the ‘small guarantee’ is seen so frequently.
The maker’s mark and the responsibility mark – a must
On the other hand, all silver products, even those weighing less than 30 grams, must be given the mark specific to their manufacturer or importer and must comply with the legal fineness standards. For the manufacturer, a ‘maker’s mark’ in the shape of a diamond is used, in which the manufacturer inserts their initials or full name and a symbol, and for the others a ‘responsibility mark’ is used, which is oval in shape. Manufacturers and importers must register their hallmark at the competent Assays office, managed by the customs administration. “The maker’s mark constitutes both a signature, valuing the work of the professional and allowing the administration to identify the person responsible for the fineness, and the latter’s commitment to consumers to sell pieces that comply with regulations,” explains Kevin Mills.
Text taken in part from the document Silver jewellery: What are the Obligations of Traders?, by Marianne Dorel, in ‘C+ Accessoires – December 2015/n°1672015’
The hallmark is the imprint created on a metal, whereas the tool used is known as a punch
The Hallmarking Convention, signed in Vienna on 15 November 1972, made it possible to standardise international hallmarks. France has not ratified it (and that is why it uses specific hallmarks). All the countries that have ratified this convention use the same system of hallmarks. Purity is indicated in millesimal, thus Sterling silver 925 means that the jewellery is 92.5% silver.
G-Silver, a manufacturer and online distributor of Sterling silver 925 findings and jewellery, guarantees the authenticity and value of the silver it uses as all of our products are made from Sterling Silver. The end product jewellery for sale on g-silver.com, made in France and in Italy, bear a manufacturing or import mark registered with the Assays Office. The findings feature a 925 silver manufacturing mark where possible.
