Silver Hallmarking and Quality
Silver jewellery is made from sterling silver - 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper.
Silver is a very soft metal and 100% pure silver is not suitable for jewellery because it is too soft and would easily bend and go out of shape.
There are very strict legal requirements that must be adhered to when retailing jewellery in the UK.
UK law requires any sterling silver product over 7.78 grams in weight to be hallmarked by one of the four UK independent Assay Offices.
A hallmark is not be to confused with a manufacturers '925' stamp. '925' stamped into a piece of silver jewellery does not guarantee quality or that the product is really sterling silver.
A UK hallmark must also be present by law, otherwise the product can not be legally sold as sterling silver!
One of the requirements of the Hallmarking Act 1973 is that all dealers supplying precious metal jewellery shall display a notice explaining the approved hallmarks.
A legal UK hallmark consists of:
- Sponsors Mark:
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Sponsors mark - this is the unique mark assigned to each maker/importer that is registered with the assay office.
Silvertime is registered with Birmingham Assay Office. All our silver jewellery that we import is sent to Birmingham Assay Office for independent testing and hallmarking as required by UK law. Our sponsors mark is 'ST'.
- Standard Mark:
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Standard Mark - this mark denotes the standard of metal, eg. 925 for sterling silver, 375 for 9ct gold.
- Assay Office Mark:
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The Anchor symbol is the mark to show the product has been hallmarked at Birmingham Assay Office.
When we send our jewellery to Assay random pieces are cut and scrapped so that the silver can be tested for purity.
- Silvertime Jewellery - Quality Guaranteed:
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All our products are Nickel free and regularly tested. All gems stones used in our jewellery are also randomly tested.
We have been retailing jewellery for over 20 years. We have been trading on the internet since 1999.
Our wealth of experience guarantees that we only select the finest quality jewellery to include in our product range. We work closely with British manufacturers, UK importers and overseas manufacturers.
The only reason our prices are affordable and highly competitive is because we buy in large quantities and our overheads are low due to now being an internet only business. Many of our products are produced by the same manufacturers that supply exclusive high street jewellers.
We really do offer quality and exceptional value for money together with unrivalled service and customer support.
Our Best Selling Jewellery in the last month
Solid sterling silver hallmarked curb chain 4.3mm width, superb quality high polished finish, fitted with a premium lobster class. This is one of our best selling silver curb chains.
from £64.00
Solid 925 sterling silver 3.5mm width diamond cut curb chain. Narrow unisex curb chain necklace
from £42.00
5.5mm width solid 925 sterling silver curb bracelet available in a large choice of lengths
from £39.00
Quality silver pendant chain. Rounded curb chain (as opposed to diamond cut curb chain) suitable for use with pendants. This is a premium quality solid sterling silver curb chain fitted with a larger than usual clasp measuring 6mm. Finished with a patented anti tarnish finish 1.75mm wide and 1.10mm depth.
from £11.40
4.8mm wide solid sterling silver diamond cut unisex rope chain. Available in lengths up to 30 inches (76cm), the diamond cut edges give extra sparkle and shine to this popular chain design. Rope chain is becoming much more popular and the diamond cut rope chain is the preferred choice.
from £114.00
Three cute little birds chatting to each other on a sterling silver branch! Adorable necklace with three Baltic amber set birds. Honey, lemon and green Baltic amber birds. This detailed necklace will make you smile every time you wear it!
£39.00
2.10mm diameter round link belcher chain. Ideal for pendants of light to medium weight. These chains are fitted with a slightly larger 6mm clasp and larger end rings making them less fiddly to attach compared to regular chains of this size.
from £7.90
6mm diameter solid sterling silver rope chain suitable for men and women. These highly polished heavy solid sterling silver rope chains are available in a range of legnths from 18 inches up to 30 inches.
from £169.00
Rich cognac, Green and Lemon Baltic Amber channel set earrings. These colourful yet subtle pair of solid sterling silver earrings are finished with rhodium plating for a white gold look and anti-tarnish finish. Measuring 10mm x 15mm, these lovely earrings are perfect for day or evening wear.
£34.00
Highly polished 925 solid sterling silver heart tag necklace. With heart tag and T-Bar fastening, this is a timeless classic design available in 16 ,18 ,20, 22 and 24 inch lengths - 41cm to 61cm lengths.
from £129.00
Solid sterling silver belcher bracelet. Britsh made highly polished round belcher link bracelet fitted with a quality lobster clasp.
from £100.00
Premium quality diamond cut solid sterling silver curb chain with a good depth of 1.9mm and a width of 5.5mm.
from £80.00
2.20mm diameter sterling silver bead chain fitted with a premium quality durable lobster clasp. This silver bead chain is ideal for use with pendants and dog tags for both men and women. Lengths 16 to 28 inches, 41cm to 71cm.
from £21.00
Oval sterling silver belcher chain suitable for use with pendants or to wear on it's own. Highly polished finish fitted with larger 6mm bolt ring clasp. All links are soldered including the clasp to ensure a strong and durable silver chain, available in a wide range of lengths, the links measure 3.8mm x 2.7mm x 1.00mm.
from £11.90
Honey, green, lemon and cognac Baltic amber dangling Dragonfly earrings. These pretty earrings hang down a total of 40mm and create plenty of movement as the dragonflies swing on the fastenings.
was £27.90
Sale Price £22.88
2.5mm sterling silver belcher pendant chain. Premium quality belcher pendant chain available from 16 inches (41cm) to 30 inches (76cm). Perfect belcher chain for use with medium to heavy pendants. Fitted with larger 6mm bolt ring clasp.
from £18.00
Finely detailed sterling silver honey bee pendant. This cute little bee pendant has a lightly oxidised finish to the wings. The honey Baltic amber is perfectly shaped to a realistic body. Supplied with a sterling silver box pendant chain
Sale Price from £21.40
