Hallmarking

The purpose of hallmarking is to protect buyers of precious metal items against fraud.

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The hallmark is a mark which shows that the item has been independently tested and verified as matching its description, and conforming to all legal standards of purity or fineness of the metal.

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In Cyprus, hallmarking is done by the Cyprus Assay Office (CAO)

 

A hallmark: 

• Consists of a series of marks applied to articles in gold and silver

• Means that the article has been independently tested

• Guarantees that it conforms to all legal standards of purity (fineness)

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Silver items weighing less than 3 g and gold items weighing less than 1g do not legally require a hallmark in Cyprus, however these items can be hallmarked at an additional charge - please get in touch if you would like this done.

Items requiring a hallmark may take up to 2 weeks longer to arrive with you.  

 

Hallmarks are marked with the lowest precious metal. For example, if you purchase an item with both silver and gold in it, it will be hallmarked as silver. If you buy a silver and brass item, it will be hallmarked as silver + metal (MET).

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Hallmarking elements:

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Makers mark - this is unique to every maker

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Official mark - specifies the type of metal - Boat for gold and fish for silver

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Fineness - reflects the purity of the metal used, for example 925 silver is 92.5% silver, and the rest is an alloy of other metals. 

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