Silver stock, hallmark, supplier, and batch-record checklist

What to take away

• Record the supplier, product, fineness claim, form, dimensions, temper, lot, and purchase document before stock reaches the bench.
• Keep a maker's stamp, fineness mark, official hallmark, inventory code, and test result in separate fields.
• Carry the stock identity through work in progress, offcuts, clean scrap, soldered scrap, and finished-product records.
• Photograph marks and labels; do not silently translate them into stronger claims.
• When a record breaks, relabel the material as unknown until suitable evidence restores its identity.

A practical stock record answers two questions: what did the supplier represent, and can the shop show that the same material reached this object? The checklist below is designed for sheet, wire, tube, casting grain, findings, chain, solder, and incoming customer objects.

Intake identity

Record before removing packaging:

• intake date and staff initials;
• supplier's legal or trading name;
• invoice or order number;
• exact product name and catalog code;
• claimed metal and millesimal fineness;
• stock form, dimensions, quantity, and mass;
• temper or hardness designation, if supplied;
• batch, lot, heat, or melt number;
• country of supply and intended sales jurisdiction;
• technical sheet and safety data sheet revision.

Retain the invoice and label image with the stock record. A handwritten bin label is useful for routing, but it is not a substitute for the original purchasing trail.

Mark classification

Enter every mark exactly as seen, then classify it only after checking the relevant system.

Field	Example of what to record	What not to assume
Visible text	925	Official assay, maker, date, or country
Symbol	Shape and orientation	Meaning from a similar-looking internet image
Sponsor or maker	Exact initials and shield	Current ownership or authorship of the whole object
Assay office	Identified office symbol	Bulk composition of untested additions
Date mark	Character and shield	Manufacture date without system and cycle
Inventory code	Supplier or shop code	Precious-metal fineness

Birmingham Assay Office's hallmark explanation separates compulsory hallmark elements from optional marks and explains the roles of sponsor, fineness, and assay-office marks in the UK system. Use the current rules for the correct jurisdiction rather than treating that system as worldwide.

Physical stock record

Measure with suitable, calibrated tools and state the unit:

• sheet length, width, and thickness;
• wire diameter or profile dimensions;
• tube outside diameter, wall, and length;
• chain style, gauge, length, and clasp;
• casting-grain package mass;
• finding size and supplier part number;
• solder form, grade, and batch.

Add clear photographs of the unopened label, material, marks, and scale. Record damage, oxidation, contamination, or mixed packaging at intake.

Process controls

Do not turn an informal bench impression into a composition claim. Use separate entries for:

1. Sawing, forming, and work-hardening observations.
2. Annealing cycle used by trained staff.
3. Solder and flux combination.
4. Casting parameters and result.
5. Pickle, patina, abrasive, and polishing response.
6. Test coupon identity and location.
7. Instrumental or assay report, including operator and uncertainty.

If a supplier revises its technical sheet, preserve the version used for the batch. Future guidance should not overwrite the record of an earlier process.

Fineness wording check

Descriptions can create misleading impressions even when a number appears somewhere in the record. The British Hallmarking Council's fineness-description guidance addresses wording around precious-metal fineness in the UK context. Before publication or sale, check the law and guidance that apply to the actual product, market, weight, and date.

Use one approved product-description field and require review when it includes:

• sterling, fine silver, Britannia, or a proprietary alloy;
• plated, coated, filled, bonded, or clad construction;
• recycled-content percentages;
• nickel-free, lead-free, hypoallergenic, or food-safe claims;
• handmade, hand-wrought, antique, or restored claims;
• a fineness or hallmark statement.

Shop-floor traceability

Assign a short batch code that follows the metal through the job traveler. Label partial sheets, coils, loose findings, test coupons, and work trays. Store clean known offcuts separately from soldered material, floor sweeps, plate, unknown scrap, and chemically contaminated waste.

For every finished piece, record:

• design or job number;
• stock batch codes and approximate quantities;
• solder, findings, stones, coatings, and finishes;
• hallmarking or testing records;
• deviations, repairs, and substituted components;
• final mass, dimensions, photographs, and product wording.

Release gate

Do not release the item until a second person, or a documented self-check in a one-person shop, confirms:

• stock identity is continuous from invoice to piece;
• marks are transcribed, not embellished;
• mixed-metal and plated parts are disclosed;
• tests are described by method and location;
• the product description matches the applicable market;
• care and repair notes fit the actual construction;
• uncertain statements have been removed or narrowed.

Common questions

Is a supplier invoice enough to identify a finished piece?

Only if the shop can trace that invoiced stock through storage, fabrication, substitutions, and final assembly.

Should solder share the main alloy batch code?

No. Give solder its own product and batch record, then associate it with the job.

What happens when offcuts lose their labels?

Move them to unknown stock. Do not return them to a known-alloy bin from memory.

Must every mark be decoded?

No. Preserve an accurate transcription and state what remains unidentified.