Hallmarks on Gold Jewellery
Gold Hallmarks are small markings placed by jewellers or crafts people to help identify and verify a piece of gold jewellery. Usually to indicate the quality and purity of the gold, the date the piece was created and sometimes the locality of the craftsmanship. For information about the dates and the fonts used to denominate these dates please visit
Dating Gold Hallmarks
Identifying gold hallmarks can be intricate yet very rewarding if you happen to discover some history on a family piece of jewellery. We have made available some small helper guides in order for you to become adept at finding at the very least some basic knowledge about your collection of gold and the hallmarks stamped on it.
Early Gold Hallmarks
Since when did we stamp our gold and why is it so important? Gold hallmarks have existed in one form or another since the earliest days of alchemy in order to grade for purity. However, unbeknownst to the scholars and masters of Europe, gold was also being marked by craftsmen in Asia and Central and South america. More info here
Early Gold Hallmarks
Modern Gold Hallmarks
Today hallmarks are slightly different, this is to help standardize the legislation on the inspection and grade of purity on precious metals. It also helps verify value and is seen as a stamp of trust to help gold buyers and sellers. The modern hallmark was born in 1973 after the European nations signed the Vienna Convention on the control of the purity and the hallmarking of gold, silver, platinum and various other precious metals. These are then confirmed by a guild or “assay office” which are then tested and verified to be in conformity by the qualifying office of a signatory country. This can often be referred to as the Common Control Mark (CCM).
This mark is recognized in all the other contracting countries. see our guides on Austria Hallmarks, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine. Other countries have also gained there own common control mark in recent times including India.