Whilst many people may have heard of the term “hallmarking” they may not necessarily know what it means therefore at the Platinum Ring Company we are going to give you a brief overview of what the term means and why each of our rings, including platinum engagement rings and wedding rings, are hallmarked. A hallmark is an official mark that is given to items made of precious metals, including platinum, gold, silver and palladium.
Hallmarks are a guarantee of certain purity of the metal. In the UK it is illegal to sell or describe any item as platinum unless it is hallmarked. It is important to note that hallmarks are not the mark of the manufacturer. There are various compulsory marks that are applied to jewellery, including our platinum engagement rings.
The Standard Hallmark Mark demonstrates the standard of finesse which is the purity of the precious metal content in parts per 1000. Another type of mark is the sponsor’s mark. This is the unique mark of the person sending the item to be hallmarked, for example the manufacturer, retailer, importer or an individual. However, to obtain a sponsors mark you must first be registered with an Assay Office.
The Assay Office Mark is the final compulsory mark. This particular mark shows which Assay Office tested and marked the item. Alongside the compulsory trademarks, there are also numerous optional marks. These include the date mark, commemorative marks, international convention marks and traditional marks. The hallmark can be found on the inside of your platinum ring.
Before the 21st century, the traditional method of applying the hallmark to the ring was through a hydraulic punching press however many hallmarks are now applied using lasers. This more modern method makes applying hallmarks easier on more intricate pieces of jewellery. For more information on hallmarking or to view our collections of exclusive platinum engagement rings and platinum wedding rings, visit our website or contact our team who will be more than happy to assist you and answer any questions.