Gold Hallmarking & Carat Analysis | Birmingham Gold Company

Gold Hallmarking & Carat Analysis

The importance of the UK Hallmark when you want to sell gold

UK Hallmarked Gold

UK hallmarked gold is not an issue as the Assay Office tests every part of every gold jewellery item. Once satisfied that the gold—whether 9ct, 18ct, or 22ct—meets the rigorous requirement throughout, they award a full hallmark.

Hallmark examples Understanding the Hallmark is important when you wish to sell Gold and Silver

It is an offence for a retailer to sell any product made of gold, silver, or platinum in the UK unless it has been hallmarked.

We do buy unhallmarked items—and we often see surprising results. Some UK-sold items fail to meet the purity standards in every part of the piece, so the Assay Office refuses hallmarking. Marks like “22ct” or “18K” alone do not constitute a full hallmark.

The same issue affects foreign-purchased jewellery from countries without strict assay laws (e.g., Turkey, Italy, UAE). We use XRF spectrometers to verify true purity before making offers.

Real XRF Spectrometer Analyses

Below are examples of items stamped 22ct that tested lower when analyzed—this isn’t your fault, but it illustrates why we rely on scientific testing.

XRF test 1 - below 22ct XRF test 2 - below 22ct XRF test 3 - below 22ct
Hallmarking Act 1973

The Hallmarking Act 1973

The Hallmarking Act 1973 harmonised and modernised UK hallmarking laws, creating the British Hallmarking Council and mandating independent purity verification by Assay Offices. It remains one of the world’s most rigorous standards.

Exemptions by weight:

  • Gold: under 1 g
  • Silver: under 7.78 g
  • Platinum: under 0.5 g
  • Palladium: under 1 g

Items above these thresholds must be hallmarked before sale in the UK, regardless of origin.

Have questions? Contact us or call 0121 448 0488.

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