I've recently watched Andrew Berry's excellent series of five videos on making a pendant setting in 9ct gold for a 10mm trillion amethyst and then setting the stone.
This piece was said to be for a customer who was coming in to the shop to pick it up "in the next day or two", and yet no mention was made of putting any hallmarking on the item at any stage during the fabrication or after the stone was set, and none was visible on it at any stage throughout the five videos. The item was clearly over the weight threshold for gold.
Can anyone say what I've missed? When did the item pay its visit to the hallmarker? Even assuming the customer wasn't literally coming in so soon as the next day or two, Assay offices ask you not to send in items with stones already set, and, from what I've seen of other people's experiences, it would be foolish to do so.
He was probably getting it laser marked and "a day or two" was probably a bit of an exaggeration! I can't imagine Andrew would send work off without the hallmark.
Presumably laser marking is a bit dearer than punch marking, but if it's a less violent form of marking then it clearly has advantages.
I seem to remember reading that the assay offices offer laser marking at a range of depths to accommodate pieces that are subject to a lot of wear. I'm not sure what sort of depths we're talking about in fractions of a mm, but I'm wondering whether it's possible to have the best of both worlds and punch your own blank impression at the kind of depth punched assay marks are typically sunk to and then get the assay office to laser the hallmark into the recess you've created. Or would lining up the laser mark exactly within the recess be beyond the skill (or patience) of the hallmarkers?
Here in London I have got into the habit of asking for a deep 3D lazer mark and trust them to make it as deep as is reasonable and convenient.
For me the advantage is that I don't have any distortion from a punch, or any dents visible on the reverse. I also specify the height of the font in mm, because if very large it can become part of the design.
For instance in the case of the silver knobs for my canes the icons were placed vertically, to be read from the top down. I asked for the font to be 2.5mm high.
The only problem I have is that it comes back with burn marks (my orange pen probably contributes), which are best removed in pickle, or by polishing in a benign way, either with a soapy brass brush or a radial disk high up in the scale of fineness. Dennis
Do you know where the hallmarking law stands on that Chris? I figure if you make someone a gift that's over the hallmarking weight and don't hallmark that's probably okay - there was no sale contract. But if you sell informally to a friend, tell them its precious metal but its not hallmarked - is that strictly legal? I'm interested more than anything else, I've wondered before.
Well, I don't have that problem myself as I only set stones..however I know plenty that make & ask customers if they want it stamped or then have it done at a later date.. maybe.
It's not unusual at all, however stuff for the window would be without question.
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