Silver hallmarks

Silver hallmark

In jewelry and goldsmithing, the silver hallmark or guarantee hallmark is a stamp applied by the French guarantee office after inspecting jewelry and precious metal items. The mark is made on new items by the goldsmith using a specially manufactured punching tool called a pointeau. The company or brand that manufactured the silver object may also affix its "poinçon de maître" to precious metal objects as a signature.

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Definition of a Silver Hallmark

Most silver metal objects and jewelry have a silver hallmark to identify the type of silver alloy and guarantee the purity of the silver used in its manufacture. Hallmarking enables you to determine the value of silver alloys according to their silver content.
A silver hallmark is affixed by French customs, the manufacturer or the importer to certify genuine silver jewelry and silverware weighing over 30 grams, i.e. large objects. Smaller items are exempt, and in most cases will only be stamped with the title.

Recognizing Sterling Silver with Hallmarks

Here are the most common silver hallmarks for sterling silver.
In fact, there are a multitude of them to identify an uncertain origin, those of the ancien régime, for export, export and a type that was used to date.

The different types of silver hallmark

Master Goldsmith's hallmark

The shape of the hallmark itself means something. In addition to the guarantee hallmarks that determine title, goldsmiths can affix their own diamond-shaped master hallmark with engraving. The letters inside the hallmark are the craftsman's mark. The manufacturer's name or brand is sometimes simply engraved in full.

 

 

A square punch for silver-plated metal

Unlike oval or octagonal hallmarks, a square or rectangular hallmark means that the jewelry or silverware is silver-plated, which greatly reduces its value as it is only covered by a layer of silver.
An example of this is the silverware made by Christofle, which only manufactures silver-plated items, not solid silver. As a result, all silver-plated hallmarks are square in shape, with a number inside.

 

International Silver Hallmarks

In other countries, different hallmarks are used for silver objects.
One example is England, which also has its own guarantee hallmarks, like sterling silver. All other countries use the same silver hallmark systems, indicating the silver grade. Thus, a 925 silver hallmark means that the object is made from 92.50% silver. Sometimes, it is stamped with the letter S for Silver, followed by the silver title.

How do I find a hallmark on silverware?

You'll probably need a magnifying glass to see them properly. They are almost invisible to the naked eye, measuring just two or three millimeters. So it's sometimes difficult to identify them on time-worn silver, when they haven't disappeared altogether.

The silver hallmark can be affixed to silver flatware, spoons or forks of a solid silver French menagère on the face just above the handle, and those of English manufacture on the back of the handles. Knives will have it on the silver part of the blade or on the handle, bearing in mind that the latter is always filled with sand or resin.
On a dish or tumbler, silver hallmarks are generally placed underneath or around the edges.

Pure silver generally exists only in the form of fine silver ingots or silver plate; they are not hallmarked, as the silver title in thousandths is engraved on them.
As French silver coins are generally made of 680 or 900 thousandths silver, they are not hallmarked or marked.
As a reminder, hallmarking is compulsory for large items, but not for small items weighing less than 30 grams, such as silver jewelry.

History of hallmarks

The control of silverware dates back to the Middle Ages. In 1275, Philip the Bold asked each town to stamp the goldsmiths' pieces it produced. But it wasn't until 1672 that goldsmiths' work became subject to national regulations. From that date onwards, goldsmiths' pieces were required to bear the hallmarks of master goldsmiths, jurors, chargers and dischargers.

Inscriptions were simplified in 1798, following the Revolution. The charge, discharge and jurande hallmarks were abolished and replaced by a title hallmark and a guarantee hallmark.