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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.

  • It is compulsory for all manufacturers and importers; for importers it is oval in shape.

  • It has a diamond shape containing the manufacturer's initials and a distinctive symbol.

  • Our hallmark is registered in Switzerland, so you can legally market Swiss products with our hallmark.
     

 

b) The guarantee hallmark (State hallmark

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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 :

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Gold :

  • Eagle head (750 ‰ = 18 carats)

  • Scallop (585 ‰ = 14 carats)

  • Shamrock (375 ‰ = 9 carats)

Silver :

  • Head of Minerva (925 ‰ and 800 ‰)

  • Crab (for small silver items)

Platinum:

  • 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:

  • Minimum gold layer thickness: 3 microns (0.003 mm) for jewelry.

  • Carats of gold used: Generally 18 or 14 carats, but this may vary.

  • 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 :

  • “PLAQUÉ OR” or ‘OR PLAQUÉ’ followed by the number of microns (e.g. ‘OR PLAQUÉ 3M’).

  • “FIX” (former name for gold plating in France).

  • “Double” or ‘Triple Gold’, indicating several layers of gold.

4. The difference between “Gold Plated”, “Gold Plated” and “Gold Filled”.

  • Gold-plated: Layer of gold ≥ 3 microns on a base metal.

  • Gold-plated: layer of gold less than 3 microns, we deposit 1 micron.

  • Flash or fine gold: layer of gold less than 0.25 µ , we deposit 0.50µ

  • 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

  • The quality of gold plating depends on the thickness of the gold and its care.

  • Avoid contact with water, perfumes and chemicals to prolong its life.

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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.

Foire aux questions

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