HALLMARK EVENTS AND ROLE OF EVENT MANAGERS

Hallmark Events and Role of Event Managers

Hallmark Events and Role of Event Managers

Introduction

A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of precious metals — platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term hallmark can also be used to refer to any distinguishing characteristic or trait.

Historically, hallmarks were applied by a trusted party: the 'guardians of the craft' or nowadays by an assay office. Hallmarks are a guarantee of certain purity or fineness of the metal as determined by formal metal (assay) testing.

Distinguishment

Hallmarks are often confused with "trademarks" or "maker's mark". Hallmarks are an official mark of guaranteed metal content, trademarks are the mark of a manufacturer to distinguish his products from other manufacturers' products. TI or French hallmarks such as A.C HH S.E. AA 1994 999

Pre-requisites to hallmarking

Notwithstanding the hallmarking systems themselves, many nations require, as a prerequisite to official hallmarking, that the maker or sponsor itself mark upon the item a responsibility mark and a claim of fineness. Responsibility marks are also required in the U.S. if metal fineness is claimed despite the fact that there is no official hallmarking scheme in that country. Nevertheless, in nations with an official hallmarking scheme, the hallmark is only applied after the item has been assayed to determine that its purity conforms not only to the standards set down by the law but also and with the maker's claims as to metallurgical content.

Systems

In some nations, such as the UK, the hallmark is made up of several elements including: a mark denoting the type of metal, the maker/sponsor's mark and the year of the marking. In England, the year of making commences on May 19th, the Feast Day of Saint Dunstan, patron saint of gold- and silversmiths. In other nations, such as Poland, the hallmark is a single mark indicating metal and fineness, augmented by a responsibility mark (known as a sponsor's mark in the UK). Among a group of nations which are signatories to an international convention known as the Vienna Convention, additional, optional, yet official marks may also be struck by the assay office. These have the effect of easing import obligations among and between the member states. Signatory countries have a single representative hallmark which would be struck next to the Convention mark which represents the metal and fineness.

History of Hallmarking

The control or inspection of precious metals was an ancient concept of examination and marking, by means of inspection stamps (punch marks). The use of hallmarks, at first, on silver has a long history dating back to the fourth century AD and represents the oldest known form of consumer protection. A series or system of five marks has been found on Byzantine silver dating from this period though their interpretation is still not completely resolved.

Hallmarking in the Late Middle Ages

However, from the Late Middle Ages, hallmarking was administered by local governments through authorized assayers. These assayers examined precious metal goods, under the ...