Hallmarking back on the rise but down Q3
Hallmarking figures resumed their upward trajectory in September after two consecutive monthly falls, but total hallmarking for Q3 is down.
This is according to data released today by the UK’s four assay offices, and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, which found that during September there were a total of 1,007,885 items hallmarked compared with 957,509 during the same month last year – up 5.3%.
The total number of gold items hallmarked was up 5.6% from 494,031 in September last year to 521,456, an increase of 27,425 items.
Silver and platinum also reported growth, up 5% and 10.6% respectively. Meanwhile, palladium was the only metal to report a decrease, down 11.3%.
Despite the September increases, hallmarking for the third quarter of the year was down when compared with the same period in 2014. Platinum was the only metal to report growth with a 4.8% increase in articles hallmarked.
Gold articles hallmarked during the period was down 3.4%, while silver and palladium hallmarking was down 7.9% and 3%, respectively.
In total, hallmarking in the third quarter of the year was down by 140,286 items or 5.3%.
Hallmarking figures for September:
| Month | Month | Variance | % | |||
| Sep-14 | Sep-15 | |||||
| Gold | ||||||
| 999 | 30 | 23 | -7 | -23.3 | ||
| 990 | 20 | 0 | -20 | 100.0 | ||
| 916 | 46,156 | 49,620 | 3,464 | 7.5 | ||
| 750 | 76,781 | 84,128 | 7,347 | 9.6 | ||
| 585 | 10,491 | 11,520 | 1,029 | 9.8 | ||
| 375 | 360,553 | 376,165 | 15,612 | 4.3 | ||
| 494,031 | 521,456 | 27,425 | 5.6 | |||
| Silver | ||||||
| 999 | 1,503 | 945 | -558 | -37.1 | ||
| 958 | 1,029 | 1,062 | 33 | 3.2 | ||
| 925 | 431,087 | 453,343 | 22,256 | 5.2 | ||
| 800 | 228 | 37 | -191 | -83.8 | ||
| 433,847 | 455,387 | 21,540 | 5.0 | |||
| Platinum | ||||||
| 999 | 1 | 0 | -1 | 100.0 | ||
| 950 | 21,719 | 23,995 | 2,276 | 10.5 | ||
| 900 | 9 | 43 | 34 | 377.8 | ||
| 850 | 20 | 10 | -10 | -50.0 | ||
| 21,749 | 24,048 | 2,299 | 10.6 | |||
| Palladium | ||||||
| 999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | ||
| 950 | 6,571 | 5372 | -1,199 | -18.2 | ||
| 500 | 1,311 | 1622 | 311 | 23.7 | ||
| 7,882 | 6994 | -888 | -11.3 | |||
| 957,509 | 1,007,885 | 50,376 | 5.3 |
Hallmarking figures for Q3
| Quarter | Quarter | Variance | % | |||
| Sep-14 | Sep-15 | |||||
| Gold | ||||||
| 999 | 106 | 63 | -43 | -40.6 | ||
| 990 | 20 | 0 | -20 | -100.0 | ||
| 916 | 127,650 | 135,254 | 7,604 | 6.0 | ||
| 750 | 220,775 | 221,424 | 649 | 0.3 | ||
| 585 | 25,870 | 23,461 | -2,409 | -9.3 | ||
| 375 | 896,549 | 847,416 | -49,133 | -5.5 | ||
| 1,270,970 | 1,227,618 | -43,352 | -3.4 | |||
| Silver | ||||||
| 999 | 6,320 | 5,359 | -961 | -15.2 | ||
| 958 | 2,416 | 2,939 | 523 | 21.6 | ||
| 925 | 1,255,193 | 1,151,712 | -103,481 | -8.2 | ||
| 800 | 229 | 4,791 | 4,562 | 1992.1 | ||
| 1,264,158 | 1,164,801 | -99,357 | -7.9 | |||
| Platinum | ||||||
| 999 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 100.0 | ||
| 950 | 65,156 | 68,233 | 3,077 | 4.7 | ||
| 900 | 58 | 52 | -6 | -10.3 | ||
| 850 | 27 | 88 | 61 | 225.9 | ||
| 65,242 | 68,385 | 3,143 | 4.8 | |||
| Palladium | ||||||
| 999 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | ||
| 950 | 20,191 | 18966 | -1,225 | -6.1 | ||
| 500 | 3,742 | 4245 | 503 | 13.4 | ||
| 23,933 | 23,213 | -720 | -3.0 | |||
| 2,624,303 | 2,484,017 | -140,286 | -5.3 |
