I bought a gold bangle for £195 today from a jewellery shop. The salesman said it was 8 carat gold. However when I later examined it I couldn't find any hallmark or any markings at all and the recept just states it is 'gold jewellery £195'

Should the bangle be hall marked? Is it genuinely 8 carat gold?

Here's a site I found that may help explain why there's no hallmark on your jewellery.

The Caratage (Karatage) System For Gold Jewellery > Utilise Gold. Scientific, industrial and medical applications, products ,suppliers from the World Gold Council (http://www.utilisegold.com/jewellery_technology/caratage/)

If you read through you'll see that many countries do not consider 8 karat to be gold, therefore they will not hallmark it as such.

I hope this helps.

Here's a site I found that may help explain why there's no hallmark on your jewelery.

The Caratage (Karatage) System For Gold Jewellery > Utilise Gold. Scientific, industrial and medical applications, products ,suppliers from the World Gold Council (http://www.utilisegold.com/jewellery_technology/caratage/)

If you read through you'll see that many countries do not consider 8 karat to be gold, therefore they will not hallmark it as such.

I hope this helps.

I am in the UK and the jeweller definitely said it was gold and that it would not go out of shape because it was 8 carat rather than 22 carat.

I am in the UK and the jeweller definitely said it was gold and that it would not go out of shape because it was 8 carat rather than 22 carat.

8 carat gold means that the gold content is 33.3% gold, so yes, it won't get bent out of shape as easily as purer gold. 22 carat is 91.6% gold.

This is a quote from the link I provided;


Many countries only allow certain caratages of gold jewellery to be sold. For example, in the United Kingdom, one can make and sell 9, 14 ,18 and 22 carat gold jewellery but not 12 carat gold as the latter is not a recognised caratage standard by law. In some countries, jewellery lower than 12 carats (50% gold or 500 fineness) cannot be described as gold.

Thanks for your help. I went back to the jeweller and he used a magnifying glass to show me a tiny 9 carate hallmark on the bangle and gave me a receipt stating it was 9 carat gold.