KNOW THE METALS

Another term often used is hallmark. Hallmarks originated in England in about 1300. The purpose was to make sure that gold and silver articles actually contained the amount of gold and silver required by law.

As a result, gold- and silversmiths took their articles to their guild or trade halls, such as the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in London, where the master assayed the article and stamped on it the mark of the hall-the hallmark-guaranteeing the article's content. Each guildhall in each city had its own hallmark. Other countries later followed suit.

Today, however, a hallmark is not necessarily a symbol indicating the content of the metal. The marking of metal content depends on the type of metal and the process, as well as the country of manufacture. In the United States, for example, a hallmark is simply the manufacturer's identification stamp on a piece of jewelry, rather than a mark of content.