THE JWL SHOPPER'S GUIDE
INSIDER TIPS TO HELP ON YOUR PREOWNED JEWELLERY SHOPPING JOURNEY
When browsing for second-hand fine jewels online, we so often read hallmarks, assay marks and maker’s marks.
Let’s unpack the exact meaning of these and how they're useful to us. These marks are tiny but vital clues in understanding a jewel’s origin, age and authenticity.
Whilst maker's marks are more for us to be aware of who made the jewels we wear, it is legally required to hallmark metals. So, what we're looking for are any notes from sellers mentioning any of these:
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HALLMARKS are official stamps certifying metal purity (e.g., 18k gold, sterling silver). Applied by government-regulated assay offices, they confirm a jewel’s composition and sometimes indicate the country of origin.
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ASSAY MARKS are part of hallmarking. They show that a piece has been tested (assayed) and meets legal standards of fineness. British, French, and Swiss assay offices, for instance, each use distinct symbols.
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MAKER’S MARKS identify the workshop, atelier, or brand that produced the piece. Also called sponsor’s or manufacturer’s marks, they often initials or logos, they can be used to trace provenance, especially for signed pieces by houses like Cartier, Sterlé, or Boucheron.
Together, these marks help dealers, collectors, and historians verify a jewel’s authenticity, origin, metal content, and sometimes even date of production. Hallmarks, assay marks, and maker’s marks are the jewellery world’s version of a passport stamp — discreet, coded, and full of meaning.
This is why we ask our dealers to share their analysis of hallmarks, assay marks and/or makers marks on the pieces available on JWL.
