Italian gold hallmarks

About Italian gold hallmarks

The familiar registration punch has a five-pointed star, a company number and two province letters inside a long polygonal outline. The star format belongs to the system introduced by the 1968 legislation. Earlier Italian registration formats look different, so record the whole outline as well as its contents. AR identifies Arezzo province: UNOAERRE’s name derives from its historic registration 1 AR.

Italy’s jewellery industry includes large chain and wedding-ring manufacturers, specialist goldsmiths and named design houses. Arezzo, Vicenza and Valenza are important production centres; Bulgari’s history began in Rome, and Buccellati’s in Milan. A brand signature and a registered manufacturing number can appear on the same object, identifying different commercial roles.

On a chain, the useful marks are often on the clasp, end tab or small adjoining ring. On rings they commonly sit inside the shank. Read ITALY as origin wording, copy every registration digit and check both province letters. A worn star can resemble a scratch, while a partly hidden 750 can be mistaken for a workshop number. Compare the full punch group before looking up the business.

How to read the marks

Find both fineness and registration punches on the clasp, end tabs, ring interior or reverse.

Record 750, 585 or 375 as the gold grade, separately from other numbers.

For a starred punch, transcribe the star, every company digit and both province letters.

Compare the punch outline and star with the appropriate Italian marking period.

Read a brand name separately from the registered manufacturer’s number; preserve both identities.

Check the main object as well as replaceable clasp parts, and include nearby ITALY wording in the photograph.