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The role of the hallmark
The final creative stage involves striking the jewel with a small hammer, the hallmark is an official and compulsory mark affixed by the State (French customs) to a precious metal to confirm its authenticity.
The hallmark has several functions :
- Guarantee the title (ratio of the mass of fine gold to the total mass of the alloy)
- Identifying the origin of the gold (provenance)
- Determining the nature and quality of the gold
Guarantee for gold hallmarks
There are now two types of hallmarks required for marking precious metal items (gold, silver, platinum):
- The project owner's hallmark :
As a jewellery manufacturer, the Maison LEPAGE has its own hallmark that we affix to our jewelry to ensure optimum traceability.
It always takes the same form: a lozenge, generally affixed horizontally, with two letters inside, corresponding to the craftsman's initials, and a symbol between them, called a "différend", which is unique to each craftsman.
At Lepage, your jewellery is hallmarked with the apple, a tribute to the Norman origins of our Maison, surrounded by the initials B & L (Bijouterie Lepage).
- The State hallmark :
This hallmark guarantees the purity of the metal used. At Lepage, we have obtained an approval agreement from the guarantee office so that we can affix it directly in our workshops. We are therefore subject to strict regulations guaranteeing precious metals and their origin.
In France, it is mandatory to hallmark jewellery weighing more than 3 grams. For fine gold jewellery weighing less than 3 grams, the law does not require hallmarks, as affixing one would risk twisting the jewellery. However, they are still subject to inspection by the guarantee department.
At Lepage, we hallmark in the traditional way, using a chisel and a hammer. Contrary to what you might think, hallmarking a piece of jewellery is a real guarantee of quality. In fact, it is the equivalent of your jewel's identity document, containing all the information about its manufacture and composition.
These are visible on the outside of your frame, opposite your stones.
The different types of State hallmarks
Several types of hallmarks state exist :
- The eagle head for 18k gold jewellery,
- The seahorse for pure gold jewellery,
- The Mercury Head and the Amphora hallmark for silver jewelry,
- The shell for 585 thousandths gold jewelry,
- The Trefoil for 375 thousandths gold jewellery,
- And many more…
Our jewellery is made from 18k gold and platinum. They therefore bear a first hallmark of eagle head or wolf's head, attesting to our French manufacture and certifying that the metal used is pure.
At the same time, we also affix our Maître d'Ouvrage hallmark, i.e. that of the jewelry manufacturer, allowing you optimum traceability of your jewel.
Recognised for our expertise and excellence, our Maison is uncompromising and rigorous in the selection of our stones, but also in the art of hallmarking.
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