Jewelry punches
In France, legislation on jewelry hallmarks is strictly regulated to guarantee the traceability and authenticity of precious metals. Here are the essential points to know:
Mandatory hallmarks
Jewelry made of precious metals (gold, silver, platinum) must be marked with specific hallmarks to certify their precious metal content.
a) The master or manufacturer's hallmark
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It's a registered trademark with French customs.
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It is compulsory for all manufacturers and importers; for importers it is oval in shape.
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It has a diamond shape containing the manufacturer's initials and a distinctive symbol.
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Our hallmark is registered in Switzerland, so you can legally market Swiss products with our hallmark.
b) The guarantee hallmark (State hallmark
Affixed by the Garantie (French Customs) or an approved organization, it certifies the precious metal content.
It is compulsory for jewelry exceeding a certain weight:
Gold : ≥ 3 grams
Silver: ≥ ≥ 30 grams
Platinum: ≥ 0.5 grams
The main guarantee hallmarks in France
Each precious metal has its own official hallmarks :
Gold :
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Eagle head (750 ‰ = 18 carats)
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Scallop (585 ‰ = 14 carats)
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Shamrock (375 ‰ = 9 carats)
Silver :
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Head of Minerva (925 ‰ and 800 ‰)
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Crab (for small silver items)
Platinum:
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Dog head (850 ‰, 900 ‰, 950 ‰)
Imported jewelry
Imported jewelry must also bear a French guarantee hallmark, unless it already has a hallmark recognized by the Vienna Convention (for certain European countries).
1. Definition of gold plating
Gold-plated jewelry consists of a base metal (often brass, copper or an alloy) coated with a layer of gold applied by electrolysis (electroplating).
2. Gold thickness regulations
In France, for a piece of jewelry to be legally called “gold-plated”, it must meet certain standards:
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Minimum gold layer thickness: 3 microns (0.003 mm) for jewelry.
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Carats of gold used: Generally 18 or 14 carats, but this may vary.
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Vermeil 5 microns (0.005mm) for jewelry with a V hallmark.
For watches, the minimum thickness is 5 microns.
3. Specific punches and markings
Unlike solid gold jewelry, gold-plated jewelry is not subject to warranty hallmarking. However, some manufacturers add markings such as :
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“PLAQUÉ OR” or ‘OR PLAQUÉ’ followed by the number of microns (e.g. ‘OR PLAQUÉ 3M’).
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“FIX” (former name for gold plating in France).
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“Double” or ‘Triple Gold’, indicating several layers of gold.
4. The difference between “Gold Plated”, “Gold Plated” and “Gold Filled”.
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Gold-plated: Layer of gold ≥ 3 microns on a base metal.
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Gold-plated: layer of gold less than 3 microns, we deposit 1 micron.
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Flash or fine gold: layer of gold less than 0.25 µ , we deposit 0.50µ
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Gold Filled: American process where gold represents at least 5% of the total weight of the object (more resistant than gold plating).
5. Durability and maintenance
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The quality of gold plating depends on the thickness of the gold and its care.
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Avoid contact with water, perfumes and chemicals to prolong its life.
In short, a piece of jewelry marked “Gold Plated” must have a gold layer of at least 3 microns, and does not require a state hallmark; the hallmark is square in shape.