Hallmark

A Hallmark is an official mark or series of marks that certifies the content of precious metals like gold, silver, palladium and platinum. It varies from country to country but in the UK, it's compulsory to include the sponsor or maker's mark, the standard of fineness and the assay office mark. Modern hallmarking was streamlined in 1972 when a group of European countries signed the Vienna Convention on the Control of the Fineness and the Hallmarking of Precious Metal Objects. Products are assayed and if they conform to the standard set by the qualifying office of the signatory country they are struck with a Common Control Mark (CCM) that indicates the metal's fineness.