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Gold knowledge

How to read a gold hallmark in 60 seconds

Three numbers and three shapes are enough to identify almost any UK gold or silver item. Here is the one-minute reading method.

By Rocco Clayfield, trading as GoldPaid; the business incorporated as GOLDPAID LTD (company 17382540) on 5 August 2026 · Published · updated

How do I read a UK gold hallmark?Look for three small stamps in a row. First, a set of initials in a shield, the sponsor (who submitted it). Second, a number in a shield (375, 585, 750, 916, 999 for gold; 925 for silver), the purity. Third, a small symbol (leopard’s head for London, anchor for Birmingham, rose for Sheffield, castle for Edinburgh), the assay office.

Found a stamp on your piece? Send us a photo of it

Photograph the number stamped inside the ring or on the clasp, then the whole piece, and send both on WhatsApp. We will reply with what the mark means and a rough estimate of what we would pay. No obligation, and nothing needs posting.

WhatsApp a photo of the stamp

No WhatsApp? Call 07944 014111, 8am to 9pm.

Not sure what the mark says? Use the hallmark lookup. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.

Diagram of how to read a UK hallmark: the sponsor’s mark, fineness mark and assay office mark are compulsory, and the date letter is optional

The three compulsory marks

  1. The sponsor’s mark, a set of initials in a shield. The maker or company that submitted the item.
  2. The fineness mark, a millesimal number inside a shaped shield. 375 = 9ct, 585 = 14ct, 750 = 18ct, 916 = 22ct, 999 = 24ct; 925 = sterling silver; 950 = platinum.
  3. The assay office mark, the small symbol that says which UK office tested it: a leopard’s head for London, an anchor for Birmingham, a rose for Sheffield, a castle for Edinburgh.

Optional marks you may also see

  • A date letter, a single letter in a shaped shield, showing the year of hallmarking.
  • A crown, historically used on gold (alongside the fineness mark).
  • A lion passant, a walking lion side-on, the traditional UK symbol for sterling silver.

Where to look

  • Rings: inside the band.
  • Chains and bracelets: on or next to the clasp, or on an end link.
  • Earrings: on the post or the back fitting.
  • Pendants and lockets: on the bail or the back edge.
  • Watches: inside the case back, on solid-precious-metal cases.

What if there is no hallmark?

Common, and not the end of the story. Light pieces below the legal hallmarking threshold, older items where the mark has worn, and imported pieces may all be unmarked but still genuine precious metal. The XRF assay reads the metal content directly, so the carat is confirmed regardless of whether a hallmark is present on items sent in for valuation by post. The full hallmark walkthrough is on the hallmark guide.

What to do next

If you want to know what your own pieces are worth, start with a photo rather than a parcel. Send one on WhatsApp and we will tell you plainly what can and cannot be judged from an image. If you go ahead, the items are XRF-tested on arrival and you receive a written offer setting out the purity found, the weight and the rate used. Decline it and the tracked return costs you nothing. Accept it and we aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of your acceptance.

Send a photo on WhatsApp

Common questions

What is 750 on gold jewellery?

The fineness mark for 18ct gold, 75.0% pure gold.

What does "925" mean on silver?

Sterling silver, 92.5% pure silver, the UK standard.

Where is the hallmark on a ring?

Almost always on the inside of the band. Use good light and a magnifier, the marks are tiny.

Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.

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Reference pages

Here is the whole process in brief. Send us a photo on WhatsApp. We answer questions about the testing, the rates and the cover before anything moves. You only post when you say so, you only decide when the written offer is in front of you, and a decline costs nothing and triggers a free tracked return.

GoldPaid is a UK-wide postal buyer of gold, silver, platinum and palladium with no shop: you request a free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, your items are XRF-assayed in house, and you are paid by bank transfer only if you accept the written offer.

Your prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label is addressed to GOLDPAID LTD, Unit 217, Bristol Business Centre, 179 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2AG. That is our Bristol office: your parcel is signed for on arrival and opened there, and each item is weighed and XRF-tested, so you know exactly where it is going before you post it.

Send us photos on WhatsAppCall us

Ask for the label in that chat and we usually send it within 30 minutes during working hours, 8am to 9pm, 7 days a week. No printer? We send a QR code you show at the Post Office counter instead.

Photo first, written offer after testing

Get a written offer, then decide

Send a photo on WhatsApp and ask anything you like. We reply with an idea of what it is worth, and the free Royal Mail Special Delivery label only goes out when you ask for it.

Send us photos for a rough estimateCall 07944 014111

We give rough estimates where possible; your final offer follows inspection. We arrange postage with you after our conversation.

No obligation. Free tracked return if you decline. We aim to pay within one working hour of acceptance.