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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, Founder & Director, GoldPaid Ltd · Published 28 August 2025 · updated 2 June 2026

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.

The three compulsory marks

  • The sponsor's mark, a set of initials in a shield. The maker or company that submitted the item.
  • The fineness mark, a number in a shape (oval for gold, oval for silver, with the number inside). 375 = 9ct, 585 = 14ct, 750 = 18ct, 916 = 22ct, 999 = 24ct; 925 = sterling silver; 950 = platinum.
  • 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.

Not sure how any of this applies to your own items? Send a photo on WhatsApp and ask. We answer honestly, there is no obligation, and nothing is posted until you decide. Or call 07944 014111, 8am to 9pm, 7 days a week.

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 payment is by Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance.

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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.

Related guides

How to photograph jewellery for a remote valuationA postal sale usually starts with photographs, and the quality of the first answer you get depends almost en…UK Gold Hallmarks: The Complete Guide for 2026A British hallmark is a small punched legal certificate. Once you know how to read it, you can identify the …London Assay Office Marks: The Leopard's HeadThe leopard's head is the oldest continuously used assay office mark in the world. It has changed shape, gai…

Reference pages

The honest version is short. 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 registered UK business. Your prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label is addressed to us at Unit 217, Bristol Business Centre, 179 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2AG, so you always know exactly where your parcel is going before you post it.

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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.

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Get a written offer, then decide

Send a photo on WhatsApp and ask anything you like. We answer honestly, and the free Royal Mail label only goes out when you ask for it.

Send a photo on WhatsAppCall 07944 014111

Free prepaid label, usually sent within 30 minutes during working hours. Free tracked return if you decline. Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance.

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