Hallmarks · By country
Japanese hallmarks
Japanese hallmarking is voluntary and modern, so Meiji and earlier work is identified by technique rather than by mark.
- Marking since
- 1928
- Gives a year
- No
How the system works
A voluntary assay system administered by the Japan Mint uses a chrysanthemum mark with a fineness figure. Gold is often marked K18 or K24 rather than in parts per thousand. Silver may be marked with the characters for pure silver.
The marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Chrysanthemum | Japan Mint assay mark, voluntary, from 1928. |
The standards
| Figure or mark | Fineness and use |
|---|---|
| K18 | 750 gold. |
| K24 | 999 gold. |
| SILVER 950 | A common Japanese silver standard. |
Dating a japanese piece
By technique and school. Mixed metal work, shakudo and shibuichi in particular, is dated by style and by the workshop tradition it belongs to rather than by any stamp.
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
- K18 is 750 gold. The K precedes rather than follows the number in Japanese marking.
- Meiji period export work for Western markets is frequently unmarked and frequently excellent.
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 · Turkey and the Ottoman Empire · International marks