The mark is a sign or chain of official marks on metal items, mostly for legitimate metal content - such as platinum, gold, silver, and in some countries, palladium. In a more general sense, the term feature can also be used to refer to distinguishing characteristics.
Video Hallmark
Overview
Historically, excellence was applied by a trusted party: 'craft guard' or more recently by the test office. The marker is a guarantee of certain purity or fineness of the metal, as determined by official metal testing (test).
Distinguishment
Dotted marks are often confusing with "trademark" or "maker mark". Characteristic is not a manufacturer's signature to distinguish its product from another manufacturer's product: it is a trademark function or a maker's signature. To be a true feature, there must be a guarantee of an independent body or authority whose content is already marked. Thus, the '925' stamp by itself is not, unequivocally, characteristic, but rather an unfilled subtlety.
Prerequisites to hallmarking
Many countries require, as a prerequisite for official marking, that the author or sponsor itself marks the item as a sign of responsibility and a claim of refinement. Responsibility tags are also required in the US if refinement of the metal is claimed, even though there is no official tagging scheme in the country. However, in countries with official marking schemes, this feature is only applied after the item has been tested to determine that its purity is not only in accordance with the standards laid down by law but also with the manufacturer's claim for metal content.
System
In some countries, such as the UK, distinctive features consists of several elements, including: signs indicating metal type, maker/sponsor, and marking year. In Britain, the year mark begins on May 19, the Feast of Saint Dunstan, the patron saint of gold and silver. In other countries, such as Poland, the hallmark is a single sign showing metal and subtlety, coupled with a sign of responsibility (known as a sponsorship mark in the UK). In a group of nations that signed an international convention known as the Vienna Convention on Smooth Control and Marking of Precious Metals, additional, optional but official signs may also be struck by the test office. This may facilitate import obligations between and among the signatory countries. Each signatory country has a single representative feature to be struck next to the Convention's signature representing metal and subtlety.
Maps Hallmark
History of marking
Ancient Excellence Byzantine
Control or inspection of precious metals is an ancient concept of examination and marking, using an inspection stamp (punch mark). The use of superiority, initially in silver, has a long history dating from the 4th century AD - there is evidence of silver stems marked under the authority of the Augustinian Emperor around 350 AD - and is the oldest known form of consumer protection.. A series or system of five marks has been found on the Byzantine silver date from this period, although their interpretation is still not fully resolved.
Middle marked End
From the late Middle Ages, markings were given by the local government through official authorization. These examiners examine valuable metal objects, under the auspices of the state, before they can be offered for public sale. At the age of Guild Craft, the official check mark is a "mark master", often consisting of initials and/or hand symbols of a goldsmith or silversmith. At one time, there was no difference between silver and goldsmith, all of which are referred to as orfÃÆ'¨vres , the French word for a goldsmith. Master Craftsman is responsible for the quality of work that leaves the atelier or his workshop, regardless of who made the item. Therefore the sign of responsibility is still known today in French as le pointsÃÆ'§on de maÃÆ'®tre literally "blow maker". In this period, fineness is more or less standardized in major European countries (write: French and English) on 20 carats for gold and 12 to 13 lots (75% to 81%) for silver, but the standard can only be partially enforced, due to lack of appropriate analytical tools and techniques.
French
Hallmarking is the earliest form of consumer protection in Europe. Modern hallmarking in Europe first appeared in France, with Statuta Goldsmiths 1260 enacted under Etienne Boileau, Provost of Paris, for King Louis IX. A standard for silver is thus established. In 1275, King Philip III prescribed, with a royal decree, a sign for use on silver works, along with a special blow for each community blacksmith. In 1313, his successor, Philippe IV "the Fair" expanded the use of excellence for gold works.
English
In 1300 King Edward I of England made a law requiring all silver goods to meet the sterling silver standard (92.5% pure silver) and should be tested in this case by 'craft guard' who would then mark the item with a tiger spotted head. In 1327 King Edward III of England gave the charter to the Golden Worshiper Company (better known as the Goldman Company), marking the beginning of the Company's formal existence. The entity is headquartered in London at Goldsmiths' Hall, from which the English term "hallmark" originated. (In the United Kingdom the use of the term "feature" was first noted in this sense in 1721 and in a more general sense as a "quality mark" in 1864.)
Swiss
In 1424, the French cardinal Jean de Brogny, after consultation with the board of eight Master Goldsmiths of Geneva, made the rules of purity and the characteristic of silver objects, following the French standard, for applications in Geneva. Although gold is definitely used for articles, the rules are silent about the standards and traits for gold. (In Switzerland today, only the case of the precious metal watches should be marked.It may prove the importance of watches on the Swiss economy.The marking of other items including silver and jewelry is optional.)
Augmentations in French and English
- In 1355, signs of individual makers were introduced in France. This concept was later mirrored in England in 1363, adding accountability to the two systems.
- In 1427, the letters system was established in France, allowing accurate dating of any marked sections.
- In 1478, the Assay Office was established at Goldsmiths Hall. At this time, the date letter system was introduced in the UK. This was originally intended to be a sign of an official known as the Assay Master, who was inaugurated in every May. Once sworn, the letter will continue to the next letter, regardless of whether the same person continues to hold the post, so it is considered only as a date letter.
- In 1544, a lion was cast into an English sign, to carry a figure of up to four.
- In 1697, a higher standard of silver, known as the Britannia standard (95.83%, ie 23/24ths of silver) was made compulsory in the United Kingdom to protect the new currency smelted by silver for silver. Standard Sterling (92.5%) was restored in 1720.
- In 1784, the United Kingdom began to impose a tax on silver, and an additional sign was added to indicate it had been paid. The sign was the king's chief and continued to be used until 1890, when the tax was abolished.
Modern benefits
In the modern world, in an effort to standardize the law on inspection of precious metals and to facilitate international trade, in November 1972 a core group of European countries signed the Vienna Convention on the Control of Substance and Marking of Precious Metals. Articles that are tested and found by the office of a signatory country qualifier to conform to the standard, receive marks, known as the Common Control Mark (CCM), prove the fineness of the material. The CCM multi-tier motif is a balance scale, superimposed, for gold, on two intersecting circles; for platinum, diamond shapes and for silver marks in the form of the Latin letter "M".
This mark is recognized in all other states, including: Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine link below). Other countries monitor the activities of the Convention and may apply for membership.
Complete international signs have been plagued by difficulties, for even among countries that have applied different attributes, standards and enforcement, it makes it difficult for a country to accept the distinctive features of another country equivalent to its own. While some countries allow a variant of marked subtlety to 10 parts per thousand, others do not allow for any difference (known as negative tolerance) at all. Many countries adhere to Vienna's systems and procedures in place to allow additional countries to join the Vienna Convention. Similarly, with the consent of all the current member states, the provisions of the Convention may be amended.
The most important item that is currently being debated is the recognition of palladium as a precious metal. Some member states recognize palladium as a precious metal while others do not. (See list of countries below.)
Poland - Poland
Excellence for gold, palladium, platinum and silver from Poland. Polish official sign between 1963 and 1986
French - French
The official French mark was used between 1798 and 1972 for gold and silver.
Mark the French horse's head for jewelry and watches of 18k gold made in the French province between 1838 and 1919
English
The Hallmarking Act of 1973 made Britain a member of the Vienna Convention and introduced markings for platinum, a metal recognized under the Convention. The remaining four assay offices eventually adopted the same date letter sequence. In 1999, changes were made to the British marking system to bring the system closer to keeping pace with the European Union (EU). Note: that under this last enactment, the date letter is no longer a mandatory part of the feature.
A Legislative Reform Order (LRO) came into force on 8 February 2013 giving UK Assay Law Office the right to attack excellence outside the UK territory. In July 2016, the Birmingham Assay Office began attacking Birmingham Hallmarks in Mumbai, India, and other offshore offices are likely to be established. In March 2018 the Hallmarking Board of Britain announced that a sign of the UK Assay Office offshore attack should be indistinguishable from being beaten in the UK. It is likely that an 'offshore' test mark must be added to indicate that the item is not tested in the UK. Only the London and Edinburgh Examination Offices now mark exclusively in the UK.
As it stands now, the mandatory part of the UK trademark consists of a sponsor or maker mark, a test office mark, and a standard of subtlety (in this case silver, 925 parts in 1000).
This is shown in the top two examples of excellence. The example below shows an extra strike that can also be hit, a lion, shows a sterling silver, a date mark (lowercase for '2000'), and in this example, the 'Millennium Mark', available only for 1999 and 2000. The lower example carries a sign Yorkshire roses for the Sheffield Assay Office.
The Hallmarking Act was amended in July 2009 to include palladium from January 2010
Switzerland
Although the hallmark in the Swiss region dates back to Geneva in the 15th century there was no uniform system of marking in Switzerland until 1881. Prior to that time, the marking was done at the local level by the Swiss canton. With the introduction of the Swiss marking system in 1881, there was uniformity across the nation.
Under current law, in all cases gold, silver, platinum or palladium watches made in Switzerland or imported into Switzerland, must be affixed, near the Creator's Responsibility Mark and its indications of purity, the official Hallmark, the head of Saint Bernard dog. Only the case of a precious metal watch should be marked. Swiss marks for other articles such as jewelry and cutlery are optional.
In addition to the distinctive features of Switzerland, all precious metals can be stamped with the General Control Signs of the Vienna Convention.
Dutch
The Netherlands, a member of the International Marking Convention, has been prominent since at least 1814. Like many other countries, the Netherlands required the registration and use of Responsibility Letters, but, perhaps somewhat unusually, there was a book published entitled "The Sign of Dutch Responsibility since 1797 "(in three volumes and in English) depicting all the signs of responsibility listed there ever since. This is significant because producers who export precious metals to the Netherlands will be required to register their brands.
The Dutch government markets their services/test offices as "Jewelry Doors in and to Europe." Dutch excellence is also recognized in other E.U. countries and thus can be sold in Austria, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the UK without further testing. Dutch excellence is also recognized in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, which have a voluntary system of signs.
One of the 2 Dutch testing offices is located in Gouda between Amsterdam Airport and Rotterdam. The other is located in Joure, called Edelmetaal Waarborg Nederland b.v. The Netherlands recognizes platinum, gold, silver and palladium as precious metals.
Tagging technique
Punching
Traditionally, the advantage of being 'hit' using steel blows. The blows are made in various sizes, suitable for small pieces of jewelry to large silver dishes. Punch is made with a straight shank or a shank ring, the last one used to mark the ring. The problem with traditional punching is that the process of punching replaces the metal, causing some distortion of the articles to be marked. This means that re-finishing the article is required after signing. For this reason, and pieces of sprues are often used for testing, many articles are submitted unfinished to the testing office for testing and tagging.
Laser tagging
The new method of marking using lasers is now available, which is invaluable for fine wares and hollowware, which will be damaged or distorted by the punching process. Laser tagging also means that finished goods do not need to be refilled. The laser marking works by using a high power laser to vaporize the material from the metal surface. There are two methods, 2D and 3D laser tagging. The 2D laser tagging burns the outline of the mark into the object, while the 3D laser mark better simulates the sign made with punching.
Test method
Valuable metal goods of art or jewelery are often marked (depending on the legal requirements of either the manufacture or import place). Where necessary to become precious or semi-finished metal goods of art or jewelry through official testing channels in which they are analyzed or tested for precious metal content. While different countries allow legally acceptable validity, the assayer is actually testing to determine that the fineness of the product matches the claim or refinement claims claimed by the manufacturer (usually by stamping a number like 750 for 18k gold) on the item. In the past tests were performed using the touchstone method but currently (most often) it is done using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). XRF is used because the method is more accurate than the test stone test. The best assay method is known as fire assay or cupellation. This method is more suitable for testing bullion and gold stock than works or art or jewelry because it is a completely destructive method.
Touchstone
The old-age touchstone method is particularly suitable for testing highly valuable pieces, which sampling by destructive means, such as scratching, cutting or drilling is unacceptable. Rubbing items are made on special stones, treated with acid and the resulting color as compared to the reference. The difference in precious metal content as small as 10 to 20 parts per thousand can often be determined with confidence by the test. This is not indicated for use with white gold, for example, because the color variations among white gold alloys are almost invisible.
X-ray fluorescence
Modern X-ray fluorescence is also a non-destructive technique suitable for normal testing requirements. It usually has an accuracy of 2-5 parts per thousand and is perfect for relatively flat and large surfaces. This is a fast technique that takes about three minutes, and the results can be printed automatically by the computer. It also measures the content of other alloying metals present. This is not indicated, however, for articles with chemical or metal surface treatment adapted.
Fire assay
The most complicated, but really damaging assay method is the fire test, or cupellation. As applied to gold metal bearing, as in hallmark testing, it is also known as cupellation and can have an accuracy of 1 part in 10,000. In this process the article is melted, the alloy is separated and the constituents are weighed. Because this method is really destructive, when this method is used for testing jewelry, it is done under the guise of random or selective sampling. For example, if a single manufacturer stores multiple rings or watch boxes, while most are tested using non-destructive methods, some parts of the lot are randomly selected for fire assay.
Other methods
There is a test method mentioned above that is more suitable for finished goods while other methods are suitable for use on raw materials before artistic work has begun. Precious metals (bullion or metal stock) were tested by the following methods: silver was tested by titration, gold assayed by cupellation and platinum was assayed with OES ICP spectrometry.
See also
- Silver hallmarks
- Test office
References
External links
- The Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmark & ​​â €
- The gold sign identification wizard
- A list of the basic advantages of different countries
- Point marks on the internet
- A complete list of past and present UK benefits
- Hallmark Convention
- Silver Hallmark Encyclopedia
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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