Hallmarks are an essential part of handmaking bespoke silver Jewellery, and having the hallmark applied by an Assay office onto your Silver jewellery pieces is necessary.
It is required by law for jewellery pieces with over 7.78 grams of silver to have hallmarks applied by the Assay Office, which incurs additional costs for the customer. However, this process adds value to the piece and guarantees the authenticity of the sterling silver used.
As a member of the London Assay Office, I have an official assay mark that includes my initials, JMAA, the lion symbol for London, 925 for sterling silver, and a letter for the year of make. Every year, the last letter changes. The hallmark will be very small when applied to the piece.
Only qualified Assay officers are allowed to use hallmarks, and the London Assay Office charges a fee ranging from £9.00 to £29.95, with additional costs for postage and VAT that are also added to the invoice.
Below is my Hallmark held at the London Assay Office and this is the mark applied to the handmade Silver Jewellery I create.
