It is law within the UK that every item of precious metal sold such as Platinum, Gold, Silver is stamped labelling the item with the type of metal it is. Platinum pieces which weigh less than 0.5 grams, 18ct Gold and Palladium pieces weighing less than 1.0 gram and Silver pieces weighing less than 7.78 grams are except from hallmark.
At Diamonds Factory all our products are hallmarked as per UK hallmarking law from London Assay Office (The GoldSmith Company)
Where Hallmarking Began
The Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office is the oldest assay office in the United Kingdom. It has provided hallmarking services since The Goldsmiths' Company was founded in the 1300s. The company received its royal charter in 1327 and ranks 5th in order of precedence of the 12 Great Livery Companies of the City of London.
Hallmarking dates back to the 1300s when Edward I of England passed a law requiring any item made of silver, which was offered for sale, to be at least of equal quality as that of the coin of the realm (silver currency). The wardens of The Goldsmiths' Company were tasked with visiting workshops in the City of London to assay (test) silver articles. If these articles were found to be below standard they were originally destroyed and the metal forfeited to the King. If they passed, each article received the King's mark of authentication - the mark of a leopard's head. By 1478, there were several hundred workshops and merchants manufacturing silver articles in the City of London. It was not possible for the wardens to visit them all so the merchants were ordered to bring their items to Goldsmiths' Hall for testing and marking and a permanent Assay Office was established in the building. This is the origin of the term hallmark - struck with the King's mark at Goldsmiths' Hall.
In 1544 the Goldsmith's Company adopted the King's mark as their town mark and the mark of the leopard's head is now internationally recognised as the mark of this assay office.
Today
The Goldsmiths's Company Assay Office is still based at Goldsmiths's Hall and remains the oldest company in Britain to be continually trading from the same site. However, it also has two satellite offices; at Greville Street in Hatton Garden in the heart of the London jewellery quarter and within a high security complex near London's Heathrow airport. It now has a new off-site facility within the Dalston-based jewellery manufacturer, Allied Gold. This is the first time in the Assay Office's 700 year history that it has opened permanent hallmarking services on a customer's premises.
In addition to hallmarking, the office has now expanded its range of services to support the jewellery trade and enforcement authorities. It offers a variety of specialist analytical services including nickel, lead & cadmium testing, antique silver dating, non-destructive compositional analysis, plating thickness measurement and a melt and assay service for scrap precious metal carried out in their fully independent on-site laboratory. Other services offered are a jewellery valuation service, laser marking, trading standards assistance, high quality photography and a comprehensive range of training and educational seminars, lectures and specialist events.
Know More
Some styles of bracelets, such as tennis bracelets, require an understanding of your wrist size. Diamond tennis bracelets, for example, are sold by length and, due to the nature of the design, work better when they fit perfectly. A bracelet that fits perfectly is less likely to catch and break or cause discomfort. If you need to know how to measure bracelet size, we reveal our top tips in this article.
How to measure bracelet size
The easiest way to find your bracelet size is to measure your wrist and find your size using the bracelet size chart. Follow these simple steps to find the perfect fit:
1.Measure your wrist
Wrap a strip of paper around your wrist just below the wrist bone.
2.Mark and measure the length
Mark your size on the paper where the end of the strip meets the other side.
3.Refer to the bracelet size chart
Use a ruler to measure where you have marked the paper, then use the size chart to find the correct size.
Bracelet size chart
The bracelet size chart displays the wrist measurement you have taken alongside the recommended bracelet size for a comfortable fit. Typically a comfort fit will be 2cm or 0.79” larger than your wrist measurement.
If you need any further help finding the perfect bracelet size, contact us for more information.
How should a bracelet fit?
No matter what style of diamond bracelet you choose, it is essential that it fits comfortably. While every person may have a different preference, the general rule for maximum comfort is to have enough room to fit two fingers between your wrist and the bracelet.