At CIELA, refinement is found not only in how a piece looks, but also in how thoughtfully it is made. That is why applicable CIELA jewellery is independently tested and hallmarked by the Birmingham Assay Office.
When choosing a piece of jewellery, beauty may be what first captures your attention. Yet what lies beneath the surface matters just as much.
The composition of a precious metal cannot be reliably determined simply by looking at or touching it. A UK hallmark provides independent confirmation that the precious metal in a piece has been tested and meets the required standard of fineness.
For us, this small mark represents something important: clarity, accountability and confidence in what you wear every day.
What is a hallmark?
A hallmark is a legally recognised series of marks applied to qualifying precious-metal articles after they have been independently tested by an Assay Office.
Under UK law, jewellery described as gold, silver, platinum or palladium generally needs to carry a recognised hallmark when its precious-metal content exceeds the applicable exemption weight.
A complete UK hallmark normally contains three compulsory elements:
- The sponsor’s mark identifies the person or business that submitted the piece for hallmarking.
- The fineness mark confirms the precious-metal standard in parts per thousand.
- The Assay Office mark identifies the Assay Office that tested and marked the piece.
What does “925” mean?
Much of CIELA’s jewellery is crafted in sterling silver. The number 925 means that the silver alloy has a minimum fineness of 925 parts of silver per 1,000—equivalent to 92.5% silver.
Pure silver is naturally soft, so it is normally combined with a small proportion of other metals to provide the strength and durability required for jewellery intended to be worn regularly.
For qualifying sterling-silver pieces, a UK hallmark independently confirms that the metal meets the stated fineness standard.
Hallmarked in Birmingham
Applicable CIELA pieces are submitted to the Birmingham Assay Office, one of the four Assay Offices authorised to apply UK hallmarks.
The Birmingham Assay Office was established in 1773 and is represented by its distinctive anchor mark. When this symbol appears as part of a complete hallmark, it identifies Birmingham as the Assay Office responsible for testing and hallmarking the precious metal.
This independent process gives our customers added confidence that the precious-metal content of an applicable CIELA piece has been verified outside our own workshop.
How does hallmarking apply to gold-plated silver?
Many CIELA designs are made in 925 sterling silver and finished with a 2.5-micron layer of 18-carat gold plating.
For gold-plated silver jewellery, the hallmark relates to the underlying silver—not to the gold plating. A qualifying piece is therefore hallmarked as silver and carries the appropriate silver fineness mark.
This distinction is important. A silver hallmark confirms the fineness of the sterling-silver base, but it does not mean that the piece is made from solid gold. We describe our materials clearly so that you can understand exactly what you are choosing.
Where applicable, our product descriptions will specify:
925 sterling silver with 2.5-micron 18ct gold plating.
Does every CIELA piece carry a full hallmark?
UK hallmarking requirements include minimum-weight exemptions. The current thresholds are:
- Silver: 7.78 grams
- Gold: 1 gram
- Palladium: 1 gram
- Platinum: 0.5 gram
A sterling-silver piece below 7.78 grams is not legally required to carry a full UK hallmark. It may instead carry a permitted 925 fineness stamp, where appropriate.
This means that not every CIELA product will necessarily display a complete hallmark. The presence or absence of one may depend on the type of metal, the weight of the piece, its construction and the applicable hallmarking requirements.
Product information should identify hallmarking details where relevant.
Refinement you can recognise
A hallmark may be discreet, but its meaning is lasting. It reflects a standard that can be independently verified and a commitment to describing precious materials responsibly.
At CIELA, every detail—from original design and considered craftsmanship to transparent material information—is part of creating jewellery that belongs in real life.
CIELA — Refined for Everyday Life.
