Hallmarks · By country
International hallmarks
Some marks belong to no country. The Convention hallmark is recognised across member states, which is convenient for trade and unhelpful for attribution.
- Marking since
- 1972
- Gives a year
- No
How the system works
The Common Control Mark of the Vienna Convention on Hallmarking, in use since 1972, shows a pair of balance scales over the fineness inside a shaped shield whose outline indicates the metal. It is recognised by all signatory countries.
The marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Balance scales | The Common Control Mark, from 1972. |
Dating a international piece
The mark establishes 1972 or later and nothing else.
Where the marks will not give you a year, date the piece from its construction instead: the catch, the metal, the setting and the cut of the stones. That method is set out in how to date antique jewelry.
Where people go wrong
- A Convention mark tells you the piece was legally assayed somewhere in the convention area. It does not tell you where it was made.
- The shield outline, not the number, tells you the metal: different shapes for gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
Other countries
United Kingdom · Ireland · France · Germany · Denmark · Sweden · Norway · Finland · Netherlands · Russia and the Soviet Union · Austria and Hungary · Italy · Switzerland · United States · Mexico · Portugal · Spain · India · China and Hong Kong · Japan · Turkey and the Ottoman Empire