Burrells
Hallmarked
In the UK it is illegal to sell or describe any item as Gold, Silver, Platinum or Palladium unless it is hallmarked*.
A hallmark applied by a UK Assay Office is not proof of origin or place of manufacture of an item.
The hallmark of a UK Assay Office (whether applied by a UK Assay Office in its approved locations in or outside the UK) is proof that an item (in all its parts) is of the standard of fineness indicated by the hallmark struck on that item.
Hallmarks applied by UK Assay Offices at their approved locations within the UK are clearly differentiated from those applied by UK Assay Offices in their approved locations outside of the UK (as detailed in the table below)
Compulsory Marks
The Hallmark comprises three compulsory marks: A Sponsor's Mark, A Fineness Mark and an Assay Office Mark.
Sponsor's Mark
The registered mark of the article for hallmarking.
Fineness Mark
Tells you the precious metal content, expressed in parts per thousand.
| Silver: |  |
 Sterling |
 Britannia |
 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palladium: | 2009 
|
2009 
|
2009 
|
2010 
|
2010 
|
2010 
|
| Gold: |
 9 carat |
 14 carat |
 18 carat |
 22 carat |
 |
 |
| Platinum: |  |
 |
 |
 |
||
Exemption Weights*
Articles above these weights must be hallmarked.
Silver - 7.78 grams
Palladium - 1.0 gram
Gold - 1.0 gram
Platinum - 0.5 gram.
Assay Office Mark
Tells you which Assay Office tested and hallmarked the article.
Marks applied in the UK.
 London |
 Birmingham |
 Sheffield |
 Edinburgh |
Marks applied outside of the UK.
Optional Marks
You may also see optional marks such as the traditional fineness symbol or the date letter for the year the item was hallmarked, or a convention mark.
Traditional Fineness Symbols
 Sterling Silver |
 Sterling Silver Scotland |
 Britannia Silver |
 Palladium |
 Gold |
 Platinum |
Date Letter
 2015 |
 2016 |
 2017 |
 2018 |
 2019 |
 2020 |
 2021 |
 2022 |
 2023 |
 2024 |
Common Control Marks (CCM)
This mark is used and recognised by countries, including the UK, that are signatories to the International Convention on Hallmarking.
Type 1: CCM Fineness Marks
 Silver |
 Palladium |
 Gold |
 Platinum |
Type 2 CCM
What should I do if my item is not hallmarked?
If you have a concern regarding hallmarking contact your local Trading Standards Authority. Fro more information visit www.gov.uk/government/organisations/british-hallmarking-council.
Our commitment to hallmarking
When it comes to manufacturing jewellery and silverware, precious metals (silver, palladium, gold and platinum) are rarely used in their purest form. Instead they are usually alloyed with lesser metals to achieve a desired strength, durability, and colour.
It is not possible to detect the precious metal content of an item by sight or by touch. It is, therefore, a legal requirement to have items consisting of silver, palladium, gold or platinum independently tested and then hallmarked before they can be described as such. Items must bear a hallmark at point of sale, subject to the following weight exemptions:
Silver: mandatory for items above 7.78 grams.
Gold: mandatory for items above 1 gram.
Palladium: mandatory for items above 1 gram.
Platinum: mandatory for items above 0.5 grams.
Burrells is registered with the Edinburgh Assay Office, ensuring our precious metal jewellery is compliant with the UK’s hallmarking regulations. All stock is subject to an internal confirmation process to ensure it meets the UK’s hallmarking regulations before it is dispatched to our customers.
For articles that are below the UK hallmarking Act’s mandatory weight for hallmarking Swag operates a separate due diligence process which involves periodic voluntary testing of items that fall below the mandatory weight to ensure they meet the minimum fineness requirement.
We are an Assay Assured Jewellery Retailer. Assay Assured status is only given to retailers who have been independently audited and verified by Assay Assured which is run and overseen by the Edinburgh Assay Office, and ensures that all precious metal jewellery (except items exempt by weight) are independently tested and hallmarked.