Rules
Canadian Silver Hallmarking Rules: What Makers Must Know Before Stamping
Canadian silver hallmarking rules stem from the Precious Metals Marking Act, not UK or US assay law. Here is what makers may stamp and the risk of errors.
What to take away
- Canada has no assay office. Quality marks are voluntary, but any mark you apply must be accurate and must follow the Precious Metals Marking Act.
- Sterling silver in Canada means 925 parts per thousand by weight. You may also use the word sterling or the abbreviation ster.
- The Competition Bureau enforces the Act, and a false or misleading quality mark is a criminal offence with fines and possible imprisonment.
- A maker's mark is not a quality mark. It identifies who made or imported the article, and it must be applied honestly.
- Records that tie a mark to a specific batch of metal are your only defence if a mark is questioned.
Who has jurisdiction over a silver mark
Canada regulates precious metal marking through the Precious Metals Marking Act, which is federal law. The Competition Bureau administers and enforces it. There is no Canadian assay office, so no government body tests your silver and stamps it for you.
This is where most confusion starts. A maker who reads UK guidance expects an assay office mark and a date letter. A maker who reads US guidance expects the National Gold and Silver Stamping Act. Neither applies in Canada. The Canadian model puts the responsibility on the person who applies the mark.
The full text sits on the Justice Laws website: Precious Metals Marking Act. The Bureau's plain-language summary is here: Competition Bureau precious metals page.
What a compliant quality mark carries
A quality mark is a statement about metal content. Under the Act, a quality mark on a silver article must be one of the recognized denominations, and the article must actually meet it. The common Canadian denominations are:
| Mark | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sterling | 925 parts per thousand silver | The standard most Canadian makers use |
| Ster | 925 parts per thousand silver | Abbreviation of sterling |
| 925 | 925 parts per thousand silver | Numeric form, widely accepted |
| Fine silver | 999 parts per thousand silver | Softer, less common in wear pieces |
The Act also sets out how a quality mark must appear. It must be applied to the article itself, not only to a tag or box. It must be legible and it must not be qualified in a way that misleads, such as a tiny "plate" or "filled" word placed where a buyer will not see it.
The Bureau's page on silver quality marks sets out the quality mark requirements for selling precious metal articles.
A mark is a claim. If the metal does not match the claim, the mark is false, whether or not you meant to deceive anyone.
What a home or studio operation may and may not do
There is no licence required to stamp your own silver in Canada. You do not need a permit to apply a quality mark. That freedom is the whole point of the voluntary system, and it is also the risk.
What you may do:
- Apply a quality mark that matches the tested or certified content of the metal
- Apply your own maker's mark or business name
- Sell without any quality mark at all, as long as you do not imply a standard you cannot meet
- Use the word sterling on a 925 article
What you may not do:
- Apply a quality mark to silver plate, filled silver or a base metal core
- Use a mark that suggests a higher fineness than the article holds
- Copy another maker's mark or a defunct maker's mark
- Apply a quality mark to a component that is not itself the marked metal
If you work with alloys you have mixed yourself, the fineness question is not academic. A guide to silver alloys and fineness testing explains how composition is verified before a mark goes on.
Records to keep
Because no assay office tests your work, your records are the evidence. Keep them for every batch of metal you mark.
- Record the supplier, invoice date and stated fineness for each sheet, wire or casting grain.
- Record the melt or batch number if you alloy your own metal.
- Record any test result, including the method and the date.
- Photograph the finished article with the mark visible before it leaves the bench.
- Keep the sales record that links the article to the buyer and the date.
A receipt also matters for tax. If you sell jewellery in Canada, GST or HST generally applies, and the rate depends on the province. The CRA page on which rate to charge sets out the rates by province.
What happens if you skip it
The concrete consequence is prosecution. A false or misleading quality mark is an offence under the Precious Metals Marking Act. On conviction, the Act provides for a fine and, for an individual, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. The Bureau can also seek a prohibition order and can require corrective action.
That is the legal consequence. The commercial one arrives sooner. A retailer who discovers that a marked sterling piece is actually plated will pull the line and ask for a refund. A customer who has a piece tested at a local jeweller will post the result. Both outcomes cost more than the mark was worth.
There is a second trap. If you describe a piece as sterling in an online listing but never stamp it, the description is still a representation to the buyer. The Act and the Competition Act both reach misleading representations, stamped or not. A piece described wrongly is a problem even with a clean surface.
Common questions
Do I have to stamp my silver in Canada? No. Quality marking is voluntary. You may sell unmarked silver. What you cannot do is apply a mark that overstates the metal content, or describe the piece in a way that misleads a buyer.
Is 925 the same as sterling? Yes. Sterling silver is 925 parts per thousand silver by weight. The words sterling and ster and the number 925 all point to the same standard under Canadian law.
Can I use a UK or US hallmark on Canadian work? No. A UK assay office mark or a US stamping mark refers to a different legal system. Applying one to Canadian-made work suggests a test that did not happen. Use a Canadian quality mark and your own maker's mark instead.
What if I buy pre-marked sheet from a supplier? The mark is only as good as the supplier's claim. Keep the invoice, and if the fineness is ever questioned, the paper trail is what protects you. If you are unsure of an unknown piece, identifying and documenting an unknown silver-coloured metal walks through the steps before you mark anything.