Hallmarking
Selling precious metals in the UK requires a legal obligation to hallmark every item over a certain weight. This is a guarantee that the precious metal content is what it’s claimed to be.
Silver items weighing more than 7.68grams will be hallmarked by laser or stamp at the London Assay Office. My sponsor’s mark is JPW.
However, some items falling below the legal requirement weight will not always have a hallmark, this will be identified in the product descriptions.
Jewellery Care
Metals will tarnish over time due to a process known as oxidisation caused by exposure to chemicals, such as chlorine and sulphur in the air.
Silver can be cleaned with a silver cleaning cloth or in warm soapy water with a soft toothbrush. Finish by thoroughly drying and buffing with a soft cloth.
Many of my silver items are deliberately oxidised to add what is known as patina. This patina may be removed if silver polish is used, so instead use warm soapy water and thoroughly dry and buff with a soft cloth.
Copper is a beautiful metal and my copper pieces have a lovely polished finish when you receive them. Copper will oxidise more quickly than silver, which is a look some people prefer. However, if you wish to restore your copper jewellery to it’s shiny polished state, this can be achieved easily by cleaning with a silver or metal cleaner and polishing with a soft cloth. Applying a tiny amount of mineral oil may preserve the shine for longer.
Tarnishing may be reduced by buffing your jewellery with a soft cloth after wearing and storing in an airtight bag. Remove before going to bed or when swimming and exercising. Avoiding contact with chemicals including household cleaning products, perfumes etc - Apply perfumes and lotions before you put your jewellery on.