geopiet May 5, 2019:

Deciphering Jewelry's Secret Code Deciphering Jewelry's Secret Code: Hallmarks, Maker's Marks

Many of the world’s major jewelry- and watch-making centers require that makers register their marks so they can be tracked. But a maker’s mark is not the same as a hallmark.

A maker’s mark is a personal trademark for the individual responsible for the precious metal content of the piece. A hallmark is a separate stamp made by an assay office – in countries that have an assay office. Not all do. - https://blog.luriya.com/hallmarks-makers-marks-marks

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A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term hallmark can also be used to refer to any distinguishing characteristic. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallmark