Under the Precious Metals Control Law, jewellery and other items of gold, silver, platinum and palladium may be sold only if they have been tested and stamped with the state hallmark or come with a certificate. Gold is sold in seven fineness grades, from 999 to 585 thousandths, and silver from 999 to 800. The item bears the maker's or importer's mark and a rectangular fineness mark with a three-digit number. A jeweller must display jewellery separately from other goods, keep a chart of the state hallmarks in plain view, give customers a loupe on request and have a verified scale accurate to 0.01 g. Every item comes with a label stating its name, maker or importer, country of origin, weight and fineness.
This guide is also useful when you buy or sell jewellery through a listing, as it shows what to check on the item.
What do the numbers on jewellery mean?
| Metal | Fineness grades (thousandths) |
| gold | 999, 950, 916, 900, 840, 750, 585 |
| silver | 999, 950, 925, 800 |
| platinum | 999, 950, 900, 850 |
| palladium | 999, 950, 500 |
- Fineness is the share of precious metal in the item's weight: 585 means 585 thousandths of gold, and 750 means 750.
- An item whose fineness falls between two grades counts as the lower grade.
- The fineness mark sits right next to the maker's or importer's mark.
What must a jeweller have?
- Jewellery is displayed separately from other items, labelled "gold items", "silver items" and so on.
- A chart of the state hallmarks hangs in plain view and customers may look at it on request.
- Customers are given a loupe or other aid to read the hallmarks on request.
- The shop has a scale with 0.01 g divisions, verified under a separate law.
- A trader who is also a maker or importer displays the decision assigning their mark.
- The label states the item's name, maker or importer, country of origin, weight and fineness.
Which items carry no state hallmark?
| Item | Why |
| gold items under 1 g and silver items under 3 g | the law does not apply to them |
| older items of scientific, historical or cultural value | the law does not apply to them |
| minted coins that are legal tender | the law does not apply to them |
| settings for gems and pearls with negligible metal weight | the law does not apply to them |
| items owned by individuals | the law does not apply to them, except when they are placed on the market |
| items a hallmark would damage aesthetically | a certificate is issued instead of a hallmark |
- If a hallmarked item is altered or reworked, it must be submitted again for testing and hallmarking before it is resold.
- An item that falls below the lowest fineness grade but contains more than 200 thousandths of precious metal receives no hallmark and is rendered unfit for sale (cut or broken), unless a chemical analysis confirms the prescribed fineness.
How to complain about faulty goods is explained in the guide on consumer rights, and selling used items in the guide on second-hand goods. For jewellery ordered from abroad see the guide on customs on parcels, and for calculating VAT from a price the guide on VAT.
Frequently asked questions
What does 585 on gold mean? That the item contains 585 thousandths of gold; it is the lowest of the seven prescribed gold fineness grades.
Is 750 better than 585? The 750 mark means a higher share of gold in the item's weight, 750 thousandths instead of 585.
Must all gold jewellery carry a hallmark? Jewellery on the market must be hallmarked or come with a certificate; gold items under 1 g, silver items under 3 g and older items of cultural value are exempt.
How do I check the hallmark at a jeweller's? Ask for a loupe and look at the chart of state hallmarks, which the shop must keep in plain view.
What must the label show? The item's name, the maker or importer, country of origin, weight and fineness.
What if I had a hallmarked ring altered? An altered or reworked item is submitted again for testing and hallmarking before it is resold.
Sources
Fineness grades, hallmarking, jewellers' obligations and exemptions are set by the Precious Metals Control Law (Official Gazette 40/2010), Articles 2, 6, 7, 17 and 20 to 24, and the form of the maker's and importer's marks by the Rulebook on the form, content and dimensions of the maker's and importer's mark (Official Gazette 40/2011). Information checked on 30 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.