What is a Hallmark?

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All silver jewellery weighing over 7.78g in the UK is legally required to carry a hallmark. This comprises (as a minimum) three marks:

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•  The Sponsor's Mark (unique to the maker)

• The Standard Mark (denoting which precious metal has been used)

• The Assay Office Mark

 

As you can see from the pictures, my sponsor's mark is made up of the letters FB and a bow-tie shape. The 999 within a lozenge shape shows that my star is made from 99.9% silver (pure silver) and the anchor is the mark of the Birmingham Assay Office. You might think the picture is a little fuzzy - unbelievably the stamps are less than 1mm in height!