European Gold Marks Guide

If you're looking to buy or sell gold items in Europe, it's essential to understand the European Gold Marks Guide. This guide helps you identify the authenticity and value of gold pieces from various European countries.

The European Gold Marks Guide is a set of regulations that standardize the markings on gold items. The guide was introduced to prevent counterfeiting and ensure consumers know what they're buying.

Each European country has its own set of gold marks, but some countries like France, Germany, and Italy use similar markings. For example, French gold marks include "F" for gold and "GF" for 18k gold.

Gold marks can be found on the item itself, often stamped or engraved on the surface.

In Germany, golden jewelry objects can be made from any alloy and usually carry only the maker's mark and a purity mark. The purity mark can be a numerical in thousands or indicated in karats.

From 1884 to the present, Germany has a system where the purity mark can be a numerical in thousands, such as 585 for 14 karat gold, or indicated in karats, like 18k. The purity mark can also be both combined into one mark.

Prior to 1884, each city in Germany had its own town mark and the guilds regulated the system. The purity was indicated in "Löthig" with 16 löthig being pure silver or gold.

Great Britain has a rich history of hallmarking, dating back to 1300. Hallmarking in Great Britain is regulated through the Hallmarking Act of 1973.

The act brought many changes to the way items needed to be hallmarked, but it remained largely the same until 1999. Prior to 1973, jewelry was often exempt from hallmarking, except for wedding and mourning rings.

In 1854, the legal standards for gold were broadened to include 15ct, 12ct, and 9ct, in addition to the existing 18ct and 22ct standards. The 12ct and 15ct standards for gold were later abolished in 1932 in favor of the 14ct mark.

Silver items were stamped with either a lion or the Britannia mark, indicating 925/1000 and 958/1000 respectively. Gold of 18ct and 22ct was stamped with a crown and a numerical (18 or 22).

Here's a breakdown of the marks and standards for gold in Great Britain:

Note that the marks and standards for Scotland and Ireland are marginally different.

Germany has a unique marking system that's different from many other countries. Unlike the USA, Germany doesn't have an independent body overseeing hallmarking, so manufacturers stamp their own marks on the objects.

From 1884 to the present, golden jewelry objects can be made from any alloy and often just carry the maker's mark and a purity mark. The purity mark can be a numerical in thousands, like 585 for 14 karat gold, or indicated in karats, like 18k.

In Germany, silver jewelry is marked with two standards: 800/1000 and 925/000. If the silver content is at least 800/1000, a German mark in the form of a crown with a half moon is struck on the jewelry next to an indication of the fineness in thousands.

Prior to 1884, each city in Germany had its own town mark, and the guilds regulated the system. The purity was indicated in “Löthig” with 16 löthig being pure silver or gold.

The town of Hanau is particularly interesting, as many pseudo marks were struck on objects made there in the 19th century. This was a result of lax regulations, which allowed gold or silversmiths to provide finished items with whatever marks they chose.

In Europe, gold hallmarking rules vary from country to country, but most nations are party to the Vienna Convention on the Control of the Fineness and the Hallmarking of Precious Metal Objects system.

The Convention introduced the Common Control Mark (CCM), which is a voluntary marking that manufacturers can apply to their precious metal articles. The CCM is accompanied by a country's national Assay Office Mark, the responsibility mark, and the fineness mark indicating its purity.

In France, gold hallmarking is particularly complex, with marks based on symbolism using abstracted forms of animals, people, insects, and birds. An eagle's head, for example, indicates a gold purity of at least 18-karat.

The purity mark is a crucial aspect of gold hallmarking, revealing the percentage of precious metal used to create the item. Gold purity is often expressed in karats, with 24 being the purest gold. In the metric system, it's expressed as parts of thousands, with 1000/1000 being pure gold.

In the UK and many other countries, the International Convention is recognized by the Common Control Mark applied to all gold items. This mark identifies that the gold, platinum, or silver was produced in a country that's a member of the convention.

There are two types of Common Control Marks to look out for: type one and type two. Type one has varying shields surrounding it, depending on the type of precious metal, and signifies the millesimal fineness of the metal. Type two is a general mark for all types of metal and fineness, with additional marks alongside it that identify the fineness and metal type.

Here's a breakdown of the Common Control Mark types:

In Italy, gold and silver do not require hallmarking, but instead have an independently monitored hallmark system that includes only a Maker's Mark and a fineness mark. The shape around the fineness digits differs based on whether the fineness is above or below 750.

Egyptian gold hallmarks are controlled by the Administration of Assays and Weights and have been compulsory in Egypt since 1916. The hallmarking system in Egypt is simplified, showing one of three symbols and not including fineness or an Assay Office mark.

In Spain, hallmarking is a compulsory state requirement, which means it's a must for any gold article being sold in the country.

The hallmarking system in Spain is a bit complex, but it's broken down into four main parts: the mark of guarantee, the mark of identification of origin, the sponsor mark details, and the fineness.

The mark of guarantee accredits gold's alloy and can only be put by the Official or Authorised Laboratories of the Autonomous Communities.

The mark of identification of origin, on the other hand, accredits the manufacturer or importer and must be registered with the Spanish Office of Patents and Marks.

To identify the person or company manufacturing or importing gold, you'll need to look for the sponsor mark details.

Gold articles above 1g require hallmarking, and the fineness is defined in parts per thousand (ppt). Acceptable fineness standards in Spain are 375 ppt, 585 ppt, and 750 ppt.

Here are the seven assay offices that can be used for the assay mark:

Swiss gold hallmarks were introduced in 1880, making Switzerland one of the earliest countries to implement hallmarking.

The hallmarks include the fineness of the precious metal and the Assay Office location, which is crucial for identifying the authenticity and quality of the gold.

In Switzerland, precious metals may not always include the Common Control Mark, but they must provide the millesimal fineness mark and an Assay Office mark, along with a Maker’s Mark, to be accepted in the UK.

In many countries, maker's marks are unique and copies are kept in archives of guilds.

The maker's mark is traditionally the main responsibility mark for the gold content of an artifact, indicating the person responsible for the purity.

In some countries, regulations require a specific shape for the contour of the maker's mark, like the lozenge shape mandatory for French marks from 1797 onward.

The use of an ampersand is typical for British and their former colonies maker's marks, as seen in marks like "J & S".

In the USA, maker's marks were made mandatory only in 1961 and can be in the form of a registered trademark or the name of the maker/firm in full.

Date letters were first introduced in London in 1478 as a way to indicate the responsible assay master, but today they serve as a "date letter" to indicate when the item was assayed.

The original purpose of the letters was to prevent fraud by the assayer, and a new assay responsibility mark was introduced in the form of a letter from the alphabet.

In practice, every 25 years, the same letter was used, but to prevent confusion, a different letter font and/or contour around the letters was used every cycle.

The date letter indicates the year the object was offered for hallmarking, not the time of fabrication as is popularly believed.

In the UK, the use of a date letter has been made voluntary in recent years, and it's not commonly found on delicate jewelry pieces due to lack of space for a full set of marks.

There are two types of Common Control Marks to look out for in European gold hallmarks.

Type one, the original traditional control mark, has varying types of shields surrounding it, depending on the type of precious metal.

The traditional marks also signify the millesimal fineness of the metal, for example, for gold, 585, 750, 916, and so on.

Type two Common Control Mark is simply a general mark for all types of metal and fineness, with additional marks alongside it that identify the fineness and metal type.

It's worth noting that the type two mark is more commonly found in recently produced precious metals.

The International Convention on Hallmarking is a treaty among European states that regulates the fineness and hallmarking of precious metal objects. It's a significant agreement that ensures consistency and quality across member countries.

The Convention is known as the Vienna Convention on the Control of the Fineness and the Hallmarking of Precious Metal Objects. This treaty has been adopted by 19 countries, each with its own Assay Offices authorized to apply the Convention's provisions.

The Convention's Common Control Mark (CCM) is a voluntary marking that manufacturers can apply to their precious metal articles. It's not obligatory, but it provides an added layer of assurance for consumers.

The CCM is accompanied by a country's national Assay Office Mark, the responsibility mark, and the fineness mark indicating the purity of the metal. This ensures that articles bearing the CCM are acceptable across member countries.

Here's a breakdown of the numerical fineness marks used in the Convention:

The CCM has the same legal status as a national hallmark, making it a valuable mark for consumers to look out for when purchasing precious metal articles.