GoldSmart Network ™

The word “hallmark” is used generically to refer to the karat stamp and makers trademark on all gold jewellery, but the term in fact has a very specific and very old meaning.  Here is a quote from the web site of The Goldsmiths’ Company of London England where the term “hallmark” originated: “The Assay Office [...]

At just about every party we do someone brings in a “gold” watch.  We have seen literally hundreds.  In reality, only about 5% contain gold.  Here are some quick checks you can make yourself to determine if you might have a real gold watch: Turn it over and look at the back of the case.  [...]

There can be no doubt that there are some unscrupulous businesses  in the jewellery industry, both buyers and sellers.  The answer for the consumer in either case is basically the same: knowledge is power. When selling old gold jewellery we really encourage you to try to understand what you have before looking for a buyer.  [...]

In European countries and in many other places, most jewellery manufacturers use a decimal system to express the purity of a piece of karat gold jewellery.  In North America and Britain, they mostly use the karat system.  Both systems represent the purity of the gold alloy used in making the jewellery.  The “karat mark” expresses [...]

A term we are often asked about, and that is misunderstood even by many jewellers, is “karat gold”.  Also see the separate article on the differences between Karat Gold, Gold Filled and Gold Plate. The first thing to understand is that all gold, in pure form, is identical. Gold is an element and it doesn’t [...]