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Author	Topic: how do I mark my silver pieces
metalspinner Posts: 1 Registered: Dec 2004	posted 12-08-2004 08:10 PM Hello group. I am a metal spinner who designs and manufactures handmade lamps. In 2005 I plan to make a series of sterling silver lamps. So here are the questions, and I thank anyone in advance for there replies. How does one correctly mark the pieces, name, date, silver mark, date, weight, do I have to register my makers mark? Im sure there are guidelines, but I can them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Terry IP: Logged
Dale Posts: 2132 Registered: Nov 2002	posted 12-08-2004 11:18 PM Thank you for bringing this up Terry. A lot depends on where you are. In the US my understanding is you can pretty much do whatever you want as long as there is no fraud involved. If your sterling is sterling, you are home free. Maybe others here would have some idea of how to select a mark. IP: Logged
agleopar Posts: 850 Registered: Jun 2004	posted 12-09-2004 09:22 AM Terry, Dale pretty much said it all for the States, as I understand it, marking of precious metals falls under false advertising laws. If you buy the metal from a reputable refiner and mark it as such (sterling, sterling silver, 925, 925/1000),and with your mark alls well. Other marks are optional, date, weight, place etc.. You are free to add what you like as long as it is true or decorative (i.e. pseudo hallmarks). As to a makers mark they range from formal names of companys or makers made from steel punches and struck onto the work, to letter punches used to spell a name, to punches with symbols, initials or logos, to scratched in signatures with a sharp point. The latter is the least satisfying to silversmiths, but denotes a certain "Art" metal approach. Hope this helps and more thoughts by others would be interesting. IP: Logged
FredZ Posts: 1070 Registered: Jun 99	posted 12-09-2004 02:24 PM I suggest you date and number your pieces. This will be of interest in the future and to historians to document your production. I have started marking most of my designed pieces with the year they were made at the suggestion of a silver historian. I also hand forge silver neck collars that are used by retailers and other silversmiths for pendants that they make. These are signed and not dated. These are bread and butter items and do not carry my design. Fred IP: Logged
Callie Posts: 93 Registered: Mar 2002	posted 12-10-2004 12:08 PM Yes, I can't emphasise too much the importance of having your pieces signed, and dated. Location is also interesting, and makes a researchers' burden so much lighter! My father was a silversmith and was lax about signatures and dates. A colleague of his was extremely thorough, even on small pieces: name [albeit last only, but it's an unusual one], year [1958, NOT '58], Canadian registered quality mark [rarely used in Canada, I find], sterling, Toronto and/or Ontario, handmade. His work is a joy to find! I was lucky if my dad scratched his name, and even when he had the registered mark, he rarely dated his pieces. After nearly 20 years of research, I'm still struggling to identify, and date his work...IF I can find it. So, silversmiths, be kind to posterity! By the way, my father was Harold Stacey, and if any of you have anything of his, or know of him, I'd be glad to hear from you! ------------------ IP: Logged
t-man-nc Posts: 327 Registered: Mar 2000	posted 12-11-2004 01:35 AM Callie, Do you have examples of his mark... I don't remember his name, in my searching but I have several large boxes of unidentified Coin Silver pieces I could look through, and you are welcome to any that were made by your father... "Smaug" IP: Logged
Callie Posts: 93 Registered: Mar 2002	posted 12-11-2004 01:17 PM Smaug I doubt you would find anything in coin silver, but for the record his unofficial mark was a scratched "Stacey", and on his sterling it was "STACEY" [quality mark] "STERLING". Thank you for the thought! Callie IP: Logged

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