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
If you ask us, spring really is the perfect time to propose to the one you love. After a few months of winter, the skies are blue again, the flowers are blooming, the evenings are lighter, and the air is notably warmer. It’s the perfect in-between season of winter and summer, which to no surprise is why so many choose it as their time to pop the question. So where do you start, we hear you ask? We’ve got all the spring proposal ideas ready and waiting, all you need to do is decide which one’s your favourite and get the plans in motion!
White Gold Round Diamond Engagement Ring
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White Gold Round Side Stone Diamond Engagement Ring
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Prong Setting Plain Engagement Ring
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Prong Setting Diamond Hidden Halo Rings
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Prong Setting Plain Engagement Ring
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4 Prong Setting Round Diamond Side Stone Engagement Ring
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White Gold Round Diamond Engagement Ring
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Prong Setting Round Diamond Hidden Halo Rings
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4 Prong Setting Round Diamond Side Stone Engagement Ring
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Prong Set Diamond Engagement Ring
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Prong Set Round Side Stone Diamond Engagement Ring
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Prong Setting Solitaire Diamond Engagement Ring
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Flowers for spring, but make it proposal worthy
Looking for a blooming lovely way to propose? As the buds begin to open and the flowers start to flourish once more, if your partner loves beautiful blooms then spring is your time to take your soon-to-be fiancé to a location near you! Coming in at a popular pick, around this time of year cherry blossom is often a favourite floral addition to any stroll to us Brits. Head over to the gorgeous Greenwich Park or St Pauls Cathedral anytime between March and April and get down on one knee underneath their stunning selection of blossom trees. If you’re looking to go one step further, you could even make your proposal one fit for a royal and visit the Sunken Garden at the beautiful Kensington Palace, where delicate daffodils and tulips begin to bloom all around – making that picture perfect moment one they’ll cherish forever.
A picnic they’ll never forget
Simple, but oh so effective for a spring proposal is none other than a picnic! Whilst the weather is on the up, spring often marks the time we can ditch our coats and celebrate what it’s like to be out in the great outdoors again. As the grass gets notably greener, the beauty of a picnic proposal is that it’s a great way to pop the big question if you’re a little more on the nervous side about the uncontrollable factors i.e., the weather! Getting together picnic supplies is something that can be done in a day, so you can keep an eye on the weather and plot your proposal around a sunny Saturday or Sunday that suits you and the weather app best. Grab a big blanket, stash you’re a hamper with all your partners favourite snacks and the rest is all up to you and how you think your partner would love to be proposed to.
Up, up, and away
A little more on the out-there scale, March is the typical time when flying season opens for hot air balloon rides, making this a great option when it comes to proposing. Depending on where you book your hot air balloon ride, most often offer special packages which includes bubbles so once you get the important part out the way, you can quite literally float around on cloud nine whilst you sip your bubbles and toast to your future together mid-air. Sounds romantic right?
A proposal for the more active couple
Are you more of an activity-based couple?! If you prefer your date days to involve a hike up a mountain or a bike ride around a gorgeous country park, why not incorporate this into your proposal!? As a lot of these activities are often on hold during the colder months, now’s the perfect time to suggest something that won’t make your partner too suspicious! If you both love to get your walking boots on, take advantage of a new season and find a special spot you know they’d love. Wondering how to make the magic happen? Suggest you take a photo on self-timer if there’s nobody around, and secretly get the video camera on! If you’re around a group, ask a stranger to take your picture! If you’d rather a snapshot to capture the moment then leave it at that, or whisper for them to record if you want to be able to replay the moment on film forever more.