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Hallmarking - the mark of quality
English silver has such a solid international reputation because
the law dating back to the 1300s states that any item weighing
more than 7.78 grammes and sold as silver must be hallmarked
as such - including imports.
Hallmarking takes place at one of the official Assay Halls
in London, Birmingham and Sheffield, the main silver producing
centres. Here, tiny flakes are shaved off an item and tested
for their purity by various scientific processes. Sterling
silver is actually an alloy made up of 92.5% pure silver combined
with harder metals, without which it would be too soft to
be made into an object of any functional purpose.
The hallmarking procedure dates back to the 1300s, and originally
consisted of just a leopard's head. Now it is made up of the
Maker's Mark (his initials), 925, the lion passant, the stamp
of the Assay Hall and the date letter. You might need a magnifying
glass to make out the components on smaller objects, but rest
assured a hallmark is extremely unlikely to be forged. Strict
of penalties have protected against this since the earliest
days - though you'd no longer be publicly hanged for the offence
you would still get a hefty prison sentence even today.
London's Assay Hall is Goldsmith's Hall, not far from
the London Silver Vaults. Between 4000 and 6000 silver items
are tested for their authenticity each day, and more than
99% pass muster.
London Silver Vaults
The enchanting underground London Silver Vaults in Chancery
Lane, the heart of the City district, are world famous both
for their unique history and the incredible variety of items
made from this precious metal.
The London Silver Vaults began life in 1876 as the Chancery
Lane Safe Deposit, where London's wealthy elite could
store their valuables, secure in the knowledge that they were
guarded day and night. Over the years the original clientele
began to be replaced by silver dealers who needed somewhere
safe to store their stock. Word spread that this was a place
where the general public could come to buy direct from the
dealers at wholesale prices, and when the original Vaults
were destroyed during the Blitz, they were rebuilt in their
present form, of 37 individually-run shops in 1953. The original
door still remains however - at three feet thick absolutely
impenetrable to would-be plunderers.
The community of dealers in the Vaults is close-knit, and
characters you'll find, many of whom have taken over the business
from their fathers and grandfathers, are always ready to advise
and inform about what's on offer here. Between them, the Vaults
boast a remarkable collection of antique and new silver -
not only from England but also from other parts of the world.
There's everything from rings and vases to candlesticks and
even solid silver chairs from the Maharajah's palace, and
prices range from around $20 to $1,700,000. |
