Sadly Cooksons don’t do the hallmarking service anymore - which is why I ended up registering myself with Birmingham assay office. I only hallmark when I have to and save up pieces to make it worthwhile. If I have to send an item off I usually get other lighter items done as well to make the most of the parcel!
And I heard the same thing about the spoons/ forks - it’s been assayed as a spoon/ fork so you can’t claim it’s a pendant/ bracelet without sending it back to assay to make it legal.
I’m so glad I made this thread now, once I get to the point where I am looking to assay I now feel reassured by all of the info from you all. The fellow sellers here really are helpful and willing to share their knowledge
Thanks everyone 
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Thanks Deborah, my silver is limited to clasps on necklaces , ear wires on earrings and a couple of very light bracelets, so I don’t come anywhere near the 7.78 limit, but it’s good to know the ins and outs for the future.
Hi Lizzie, you need their permission to sell the amended item even if you haven’t removed the original Hallmark. eg I had some silver sugar tongs that I wanted to just bend to form a bangle and had to pay nearly £30 for the privilege which of course made the item rather pricey.
So all those people who cut up silver spoons/forks to make rings etc could be in trouble if the Assay Office catch them!
I’ve given up the idea of re-purposing cutlery because it just isn’t worth it. Shame really because some of the patterns on handles are really lovely.
Of course, if you live outside of Europe then re-purpose away!
I can see their point in a way because in the past (it’s been going on for a very long time) unscrupulous people would cut up silver and solder it back together to resemble a more expensive piece. I’ve seen some examples on the Antiques Road Show which was very interesting.
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Ugh I’m utterly dismayed again now, just weighed a couple of chainmaille bracelets that were made with sterling silver. Lets just say theres more than 10 gms of silver in the bracelets minus the heavy sterling silver clasps. How do you have chainmaille stamped? Going to hide them from sale till I get a chance to alter the descriptions 
The Assay Office are very clever where they put the hallmark. I’ve had ear wires stamped before now!
I would assume they would put the mark on the clasp, using a laser - but you have to request laser marking. They are able to get into the smallest of spaces - I’m always amazed at their expertise.
Just had a thought. It is possible for a registered person to get other people’s work hallmarked. The items have to be declared as belonging to someone else and of course you miss out on the maker’s mark. Perhaps a phone call to them might clarify the situation?
I’m planning on getting in touch with the Edinburgh office this week about costings ect regardless of how it goes with me taking up metal smithing. I love making chainmaille which tends to be heavy anyway so will be worth my while saving and just going for it. It’s actually exciting to think that I could have my own makers mark.
I’ve changed my maille bracelet listings but the necklace and earrings are under 7gms but I think from what I’m reading I would have everything assayed as it does add that bit more of a professional feel.
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If you think of it as an investment it seems a bit more reasonable @LouiseGraceJewellery - the registration fee is for 10 years, so it’s only about £7.20 per year, and as far as I know the stamp lasts forever, or until it wears out! I guess it depends whether you see jewellery making as a long term thing which you want to build up over the years - I do and that’s why I went for it. Also, to agree with what Theresa was saying, they can stamp in really tiny spaces, I sent off a chain bracelet and wasn’t sure whether they’d be able to stamp it or would have to laser stamp it. They managed to do it on one of the larger rings and it looks great. And having your own maker’s mark is so exciting - I posted pictures of mine on my facebook page when my firstparcel came back the other week! x
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They often stamp my things on clasps and jump rings , the stamp is almost invisible to the customer but is there , sometimes it is nice to add a little tag for them to stamp to make a decorative feature of it.
You can get your work stamped on someone else’s account , the assay office misplaced my stamps at one point so I had to use a friends account .
The only risk with doing that is if their piece fails to pass / with too much solder or some impure content the whole packet fails and is liable to be crushed.
If you are going to register , then think very hard about the size of things you are likely to get stamped - if it is going to be small wires then go for a really small makers mark, other wise your initials will not be legible .
These ear wires are 0.8 mm and the stamp is still easily legible.
ooohh that looks fab. It does add something to the piece to have that stamp on there.
I’m all excited now to start working with metal and to work towards this step. Thank you again everyone for the info it’s been a real learning curve
What size stamp do you have @DeborahJonesJewellery? I went for the 0.75mm one on the advice of the assay office so I could use it for everything, and it’s fine but so tiny it just looks a bit lost on bangles, so I was thinking of getting them lasered a bit bigger next time.
Hi Claire, just been for a rummage to find out, I have a 0.75 and a 1.75 mostly they seem to use the small one - the big one does quite a bit of damage.
Not had anything lasered , but it is a great option .
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Same as me then - thanks!
I mostly have my work laser marked now (in fact I sent a parcel off today to be done) you can request different sizes on different items. I prefer it as there is no risk of damage and you can send completed pieces set with stones and they still come back fine.
I have a couple of photos on my FB page comparing punched and laser marks. I’ll dig those out and post them here for you to see.
This is a punched mark…
and this is a laser mark…
Oh wow, the laser mark looks like a punched one - I wasn’t expecting it to look like that!
The laser mark looks awesome. Its good that there is an option to have either, I can see me getting carried away and completely finishing a piece before sending it off and something happening to stones or details. I have to say that all round the marks really do add that extra little something to each item.
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I use both the laser and the stamp, I find Laser mark is best used if your piece has texture or it’s a small srea, also some rings are lasered, it does cost a little more but it saves any damage to the small or thin areas,
This is a lasered mark i had on this spinner ring due to the shape of the piece, it would have been to tricky i think to have had the stamp there without causing any damage.
I think my size is a 0.8mm
@TheDragonflyLane I know what you mean about the stamp looking lost on the bangles 
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Can you mix and match within a packet or does it have to be all stamped or all lasered ?
I like to send off about 80 bits at once to get the price as low as possible.
Cripes! This area is such a minefield-I’m glad I used a lighter weight wire for my bracelet clasps now, as I have no intention at all of getting them hallmarked. At £160 for registration my husband would go spare! Does anyone know what happens if you give heavy weight stuff as a gift to a relative-does the law just relate to sales?