Kristaval Keepsakes has its Hallmark registered with the London Assay Office.

The London Assay Office is administered by the Goldsmiths' Company, one of the oldest Trade Guilds in the world, and it is also the oldest assay office in the world.  It began hallmarking precious metal objects in the 14th century when Edward I 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.  The London Assay Office has a continuous and unbroken record of hallmarking services from then up to the present day.  The Goldsmiths’ Company (London) Assay Office is still based at Goldsmiths’ Hall in the City of London and remains the oldest company in Britain to be continually trading from the same site.

Hallmarking refers to a mark that is applied to pieces of precious metals (platinum, gold, palladium or silver), which shows that it has been independently tested and verified and therefore conforms to all legal standards of purity or fineness.

A Hallmark consists of three compulsory marks.  The symbols give the following information:

• Sponsor's Mark (who made the article?). This is the unique mark of the company or person responsible for sending the article for hallmarking.

• Standard Mark (what is its guaranteed standard of fineness?) This shows the fineness of the metal – ie purity of the precious metal content in parts per 1000 in relation to the standard recognized in the UK.  For example, 750 parts per 1000 by weight is equivalent to the old 18-carat gold standard.  The alloy must be at least 750 parts per 1000 to be marked as such. For silver, the standard is 925 parts per 1000.  There is no negative tolerance.

• The Assay Office Mark (the Assay Office at which the article was tested and marked).  This symbol shows which Assay Office tested and marked the item.  The Leopard's head is the symbol of the London Assay Office.

 

Interpreting Kristaval's Hallmark :

• The letters LAO and the Leopard's Head both denote the London Assay Office

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• The lion (symbol for sterling silver) and the numbers 925 both denote that the hallmarked item is of the correct fineness of 925 parts of silver per 1000 parts.  It is worth mentioning here that the terms "925" and "sterling silver" have the same meaning.

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• The letters CMAM denote the personal hallmark for Kristaval's principal jeweller, Christine Martin.  Kristaval Keepsakes is very proud of its hallmark which allows its clients to buy their jewellery with confidence, knowing that the silver* used in the making of their purchases is of the fineness required by the Assay Office.

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*All silver and metals used in the creation of Kristaval's jewellery is of hallmark fineness unless stated to be plated. Kristaval Keepsakes will always state if any plated metal has been used in the creation of its jewellery.