What is a Hallmark?

A hallmark is a series of marks that are stamped onto certain metals to identify their preciousness and purity. Most metals are alloyed with other metals and it makes them more durable and affordable. but for consumers, it can be difficult to tell just how much of these precious metals are in a piece of jewellery. To guarantee the purity of these metals and protect consumers, hallmarks were born.

In Canada, the Precious Metals Marking Act adopted in 1996 serves as the basis for its Hallmarking Regulations. Today, this hallmarking is a legal requirement in most countries and any article described as made of gold, silver, platinum or palladium should be hallmarked before it can be sold.

Hallmarking at MINIMORE

Minimore we take all the necessary steps to ensure our hallmarking system complies with Canada regulations. We ensure all hallmarks are placed on some part of jewellery pieces. If the earrings or piercing, the hallmarks are placed on the back or on the post of your jewellery, in an area not visible to you when you wear it. If the ring, the marks are placed inside of the ring, in an area not visible to you when you wear it. Frequently, you may need a magnifying glass to clearly see the hallmark.

All of our jewellery pieces that made of solid gold are stamped with 10K and 14K metal purity stamps, identifying that our pieces contain 10K(41.66%) or 14K(58.50%) real gold. All the jewellery pieces that made of sterling silver are stamped with a 925 metal purity stamp, identifying that our pieces contain a minimum of 92.5% pure silver. All the 14K goldfill jewellery pieces are stamped with 1/20 14Kto guarantee our pieces contain 14K gold fill. This purity grade is more commonly known as sterling silver and is considered the very best in class for silver jewellery.

Some jewellery peices that made of hand chains and the beaded ball may not have hallmarks on them, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t real. Other items may already have hallmarks but may need to undergo additional confirmation.