Hallmarks & Identifying Marks on Jewelry
Many people are curious to know about marks they find stamped or impressed on their jewelry. These differ from engraving as they usually represent information that might include a maker's mark, city or country of origin, assay office, carat weight of metal, metal identification and more.
Thousands of Marks
One of our most frequent requests is to identify marks on jewelry. Many people do not realize that there are thousands upon thousands of types of marks, some made for centuries and from countries all over the world. Therefore, it is not possible to identify with accuracy many marks, and unfortunately, also not possible to do so without seeing the marks in person. Even then, many marks may remain unidentified.
How we Can Help
If you wish to have marks on a piece of jewelry identified, you would need to choose either the "Authentication" or the "Appraisal" services in most cases. If we receive very clear and in focus photographs of all the marks on the item for identification, then an expert opinion is fine. If we cannot help identify the mark, there would be no charge.
Reference Books
There are books that can help. Many can be found or ordered through a library or ordered online or in a local bookstore. We have provided a helpful listing of books on hallmarks here.