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Assay and hallmarking play a vital role in the jewellery industry, especially for precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum. These processes verify the authenticity, quality, and purity of the metals used in jewellery.

In this blog post, we’ll explain what assay and hallmarking involve and why they matter so much in ensuring trust and transparency in the jewellery trade.

What is an assay?

Assay determines the amount and quality of precious metals in an alloy. Experts perform a series of tests to detect impurities and calculate the percentage of pure metal present. Depending on the type of metal, they use either fire assay or instrumental methods to ensure accurate results.

What is hallmarking?

Hallmarking certifies the purity and quality of precious metals used in jewellery. Authorized agencies stamp a hallmark—a symbol or mark—onto the metal to indicate its type and purity. In many countries, laws require hallmarking to protect consumers and ensure transparency in the jewellery market.

The hallmark typically includes the following information:

• Maker’s mark: This is the stamp or symbol that identifies the manufacturer of the jewellery.

• Metal fineness: This is a number that indicates the purity of the metal. For example, in the UK, gold is measured in carats, while in the US, it is measured in karats.

• Assay office mark: This is the stamp or symbol that identifies the assay office where the metal was tested and hallmark stamped.

• Date letter: This is the stamp or symbol that indicates the year that the jewellery was hallmarked.

Why is assay and hallmarking is important?

Assay and hallmarking play a crucial role in the jewellery industry for several reasons. First, they verify the authenticity and quality of the precious metals used, giving consumers confidence that they’re purchasing genuine, high-quality jewellery. Hallmarking also helps prevent fraud and deception by clearly indicating metal purity. In many countries, laws mandate hallmarking to ensure that jewellery meets industry standards and to protect consumer rights.

Assay and hallmarking are vital processes in the jewelry industry, ensuring the authenticity, quality, and purity of precious metals used in jewellery making.

At Mechelec, we recognise the importance of these standards and offer a range of high-quality assay furnaces and hallmarking machines designed for reliable, accurate performance. Our equipment supports manufacturers and jewellers in meeting industry regulations and maintaining consumer trust.

Contact us today to learn more about our products and how we can support your jewellery-making needs with dependable solutions.

Click to know more about the Hallmarking guidelines of Precious Metals

Cupellation helps extract precious metals like gold and silver from impure metals such as lead. In this process, technicians heat the impure metal to a high temperature and oxidise it to remove impurities. They carry out this process in a cupellation furnace, which is specially designed for efficient and accurate metal separation.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the Cupellation Furnace and its Applications in precious metal refining.

What is a Cupellation Furnace?

A cupellation furnace plays a key role in extracting precious metals from impure metals during the cupellation process. It features a refractory-lined chamber that heats to extremely high temperatures, allowing impurities to oxidise and separate from metals like gold and silver.

How does a Cupellation Furnace work?

In the cupellation process, technicians melt impure metal in a cupellation furnace at high temperatures, typically between 950–1050°C. As the metal melts, air inside the furnace oxidises it, causing impurities to react and form slag that rises to the surface. The precious metal, such as gold or silver, remains as a small bead on a bone ash or magnesite cupel. After the process, they remove the cupel from the furnace and let it cool. Once cooled, they weigh and analyse the metal bead to determine its purity.

Application of this Assay Furnace

Refiners commonly use cupellation furnaces to extract and purify precious metals, especially gold and silver. These furnaces also help analyse trace amounts of precious metals in ores, alloys, bullion, and coins. The cupellation process plays a key role in determining the exact gold and silver content in various materials.

The cupellation furnace is an essential tool in both refining and analytical processes. Its ability to separate and purify precious metals makes it valuable to industries such as jewellery, electronics, and mining.

At Mechelec, we understand the applications of Cupellation Furnaces and thus provide high-quality Cupellation Furnaces built for reliable and efficient performance. Whether you’re refining gold, silver, or other precious metals, our equipment ensures accuracy and durability.

Contact us today to learn more about our products and discover how we can support your refining needs.