| Hallmarks are groups of symbols impressed on | | | | example, any silver products must be sterling or |
| items made of precious metals to imply the | | | | higher or else it would be considered a |
| product's value by indicating the fineness of the | | | | substandard product. To determine the purity of |
| precious metal used as raw material to create the | | | | the precious metal in the alloy, assaying is |
| product. There are three kinds of precious metals | | | | performed on the products. |
| that are required to have hallmarks and these | | | | There are various methods in determining the |
| metals are gold, silver and platinum. Originally, only | | | | fineness of the metals used. One of the most |
| gold and silver were required to have the | | | | accurate, which is applied to gold is the fire assay. |
| hallmarks but during recent years, platinum was | | | | It is a destructive method which requires a few |
| included in the list of precious metals to be | | | | randomly chosen items to be melted. The base |
| hallmarked. | | | | metal is separated from the precious metal and |
| These precious metals are luxury items which | | | | through this separation, the purity of the gold will |
| many people, especially the members of the | | | | be determined. Because of the destructive nature |
| upper class society, would like to own. Usually, the | | | | of this process, only a handful is picked to |
| gold and silver items they owned are in the form | | | | undergo fire assay while the rest undergoes |
| of jewelry, plates, goblets, knives, spoons and | | | | non-destructive means. |
| forks, chandeliers, brooches and the like. | | | | Originally, the assaying were performed by guilds |
| Gold and silver, in their purest and finest form, is | | | | of goldsmiths. They would assay the products and |
| too soft to be used for anything. So the usual | | | | mark the items with the proper seal within their |
| practice is to add a base metal, usually copper to | | | | guild halls. From these process, the term hallmark |
| the precious metal and create and alloy. This alloy | | | | was coined. Today, not only England performs |
| will be hard, as taken from the characteristic of | | | | hallmarking. Other European countries practice |
| copper while possessing the luster and beauty of | | | | their own hallmarking schemes as well. This |
| either gold or silver. | | | | creates security to investors and consumers of |
| When precious metal and base metal are mixed, | | | | goods made of precious metals. |
| the result will be a strong and lustrous alloy. This is | | | | These countries have banded together in order to |
| ideal on the part of the manufacturer or | | | | not only protect the consumers of the gold, silver |
| craftsman but not necessarily so for the | | | | and platinum products they produce but also to |
| consumers or buyers. The final product will have | | | | create a standard hallmark for the fineness of the |
| no indication of the mixture of metals. There are | | | | products produced. With the standardized |
| no clear indications of which metals are used and | | | | hallmarking system called the Common Control |
| of the ratio of base metal and precious metals. | | | | Mark (CCM), the trade of goods made of precious |
| With this scenario, the consumer is susceptible to | | | | metals between these countries have become |
| deception and fraud. | | | | easier and faster. Importing countries are no |
| To address this dilemma, King Edward I of | | | | longer need to re-assay the incoming products |
| England decreed in 1300 that all goods made of | | | | that bear the CCM. |
| gold and silver must have a specific fineness. For | | | | |