Stamps, fineness, and the law's requirements for precious metals

A piece of jewellery is not just a piece of metal — it is a promise of how much precious metal it contains. For that promise to be trustworthy there are rules in Denmark for how goods of precious metals must be marked and controlled. As a goldsmith and silversmith you work in the middle of that rule set and it is important to know it.

Precious metal goods that are manufactured and sold commercially must as a rule bear two marks: a maker's mark (also called responsible mark) showing who is behind the goods, and a fineness mark indicating how much pure precious metal the goods contain. Together they are the buyer's assurance that the goods are what they claim to be.

What solderability means

Fineness is a measure of purity — that is, what proportion of the material is the precious metal, and what proportion is other metals, typically added to make it stronger. The hallmark puts a number on that purity, so the buyer can compare and trust the goods.

In Denmark it is the Danish Business Authority (formerly the Danish Safety Technology Authority) that is responsible for the area. The actual control of items of precious metals is handled in practice by a designated inspection body that regularly takes samples and analyzes them in the laboratory. If an item does not live up to what the hallmark promises the company behind may be held accountable.

The rules rest on legislation on precious metals and an accompanying regulation that sets requirements for notification, registration, marking and inspection. You don't need to memorise the paragraphs, but you must know that the requirements exist, where you find them, and that they apply as soon as the goods are sold commercially.

• 01Mark stamp: shows who is responsible for the goods.
• 02Hallmark: indicates the purity of the precious metal.
• 03Commercial sales trigger the requirement for correct marking.
• 04Authority and supervisory body conduct inspections and take samples.

When you manufacture or sell goods it is your responsibility that they are labelled correctly. Incorrect or missing marking can cost trust and in the worst case cause problems with the authorities. So the rules are not just bureaucracy – they are part of being a trustworthy professional in a craft where the customer is precisely paying for authenticity.