A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term hallmark can also be used to refer to any distinguishing mark.

Are silver and gold hallmarks the same?

Purity Markings The most common hallmark is meant to tell you an items precious metal purity. The first thing you want to look for is the shape of the stamp. A rectangular shape with the corners shaved off will tell you immediately that the item is gold. An oval stamp would indicate the item is silver.

What does 930 mean on silver?

Argentium is patented and trademarked by the Argentium Silver Company, who uses ARGENTIUM® or a detailed flying unicorn symbol to mark its authenticity. When hallmarked, the 93.5% grade is still classified as sterling silver and is stamped with 930.