The British hallmarking standard on silver is very high, just from looking at the hallmark you can decipher what date the item was made, who the maker was and in which town it was hallmarked. This enables us to date pieces going right back to the 16th century.You can find more information on hallmarking at the Annabel Chaffer website.
Manufacturers mark (example) Fineness (parts/thousand) Assay Office Mark (London) Date Mark (1999) Pictorial Symbol
British Sterling Silver Hallmarks are also your guarantee of the purity of silver (higher than 92.5% purity).This is not the case in other countries where the silver content can be lower or in some instances nonexistent.
Since the end of the 12th Century there has been strict control of items made from silver in England. Each piece of silver produced in the UK is required by law to be sent to an Assay Office for hallmarking. If you buy a piece of British hallmarked silver you are guaranteed a quality item and an unique gift, which will hold its value and become an investment for the future.
See this example of a unique gift of a silver perfume atomizers made by an English silversmith at the Annabel Chaffer website. Silver pieces make unique gifts which are often perceived as heirlooms. This benefits the giver as they are then in the thoughts of the recipient.
The History of Hallmarks Hallmarking represents one of the earliest forms of consumer protection. A hallmark is a series of marks applied to gold, silver and platinum articles. It indicates that the article has been independently tested at an Assay Office and guarantees that it conforms to the legal standards of precious metal content, known as the fineness.
In 1238 Henry III ordered that all goldsmiths and silversmiths must have their wares assayed (from the French "assai", to test) and conform to certain standards.
The Act of Edward I, 1300, decreed that all gold and silver work should be, 'Of the sterling allay or better, at the pleasure of him to whom the work
belongeth'.
By 1363 every gold or silver smith had to stamp each piece of work with their personal mark to show that they had met the set standards.
In 1478 year marks were introduced to further protect consumers.
The Customs Act of 1842 stated that all silver imports to the UK were to be assayed and marked in a UK assay office, backdated to 1800.
Since the end of the 12th Century there has been strict control of items made from silver in England. This is still regulated and controlled by the
Goldsmiths Hall in London to this very day. Each piece of silver produced in the UK is required by law to be sent to an Assay Office for assaying. If the
required legal standards are met the silversmith's marks are then stamped onto the article.
The Leopard's Head is the mark of the London Assay Office and has been in continuous use since 1300, when the Wardens of the Company were given responsibility for marking gold and silver wares, which passed assay, with the King's mark of the Leopard's Head.
Still based in the Goldsmiths' Hall, and using the most up-to-date technology, the London Assay Office hallmarks several million articles every year. It is also the Secretariat of the Association of European Assay Offices. Hallmarking is now carried out under the statutory jurisdiction of the Hallmarking Act
1973. The Act also established the British Hallmarking Council. The Council has various powers and duties regarding hallmarking, which include ensuring adequate assaying and hallmarking facilities in the UK. For further information contact the annabel chaffer website.
If you seem to disagree with this simple statement, think of a person - any person, for that matter - wearing a load of just sterling silver jewelry. Let's deck that person in a few sterling silver earrings. Then let's try placing silver ropes around that person's neck. We can add a couple of silver rings to go along. And for good measure, we will even throw in one or two silver toe rings. And what do you have? You see nothing more but everyday wear. Now, picture that same person wearing the same exact jewelry, only this time, turn every piece that we imagined into gold. Now what do you have? You see a person imitating a fully lit Christmas tree.
We are exaggerating, of course. Nonetheless, this fully illustrates the sublime sophistication which is found probably only in sterling silver jewelry. In fact, if you want, you can mix and match sterling silver jewelry with any other gem or mineral and it will still look pretty chic. Only few kinds of jewelry can achieve this kind of versatility while keeping a sort of utter sophistication and elegance. Cubic zirconia jewelry or CZ jewelry, particularly CZ rings and CZ earrings are often paired with silver. And you guessed it; this combination always manages to look wonderful.
However, in order to maintain that brilliance, you should primarily know how to give your sterling silver jewelry the proper attention it needs. After all, how will you be able to enjoy your sterling silver jewelry if it is not in its ultimately best condition? The first thing that you should keep in mind is that you need to treat your silver exactly as it is worth. You certainly would not wear your best dress to do menial chores around the house or do harsh corrosive applications, now would you? You would want to treat your sterling silver jewelry basically the same way. It would be best if you could shield your jewelry from scratching or from harmful substances (like acids, bleaches, paint, etc.). The best option is probably to take your sterling silver jewelry off while in contact with these harmful substances.
Another thing that you should keep in mind is that an occasional cleaning with silver-safe jewelry cleaners could do you some good as well. Over time, a build up or residue from months (even years) of use can cause silver to tarnish and look aged (somewhat gray and yellow in discoloration). With that said, you might want to schedule a habitual cleaning to keep your jewelry as clean as possible all the time. However, you should be careful when cleaning your sterling silver. This is especially if it is matched with other gemstones or minerals. Sterling silver jewelry indeed has an unparalleled sophistication and elegance. However, you should always maintain your jewelry to always keep it at its best.
Both Victoria Nichols & Sara Berkley are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Victoria Nichols has sinced written about articles on various topics from Jewelry. Did you like this article? You can find british hallmarked silver pieces and quality gifts at the annabel chaffer website.Victoria has been sourcing and designing