Mattie,Date: 10/5/2005 3:01:03 PM
Author:Matatora
Which vendors who do custom work mark their pieces? I was noticing that in the WF custom project I can never see their mark. Is that just a coincidence? Or do they not mark them? Does having a makers mark on a peice affect the value at all?
Thanks Wink!Date: 10/5/2005 5:33:37 PM
Author: Wink
Not having a hallmark on a Tiffany ring would indeed lower the value and call into question by any downline purchaser if it were indeed a Tiffany ring.
Not having a hallmark on a Wink Jones ring would not affect the value at all as far as appraisal purposes went. If I were to become famous and my rings treasured by collectors then the absence of those hallmarks would indeed cause problems to the sellers of my rings. Without the hallmark the ring should be appraised as is and for what it would cost to replace it as is. With a hallmark, the ring should be appraised for what it would cost to replace it at the store with the hallmark. That is true of designer lines also. A Vatche ring is worth more with the hallmark than a similar unbranded ring without it, since it sells for a higher price.
Wink
I ripped off a prior. But Id love my own mark in it...Hrmmmm...what could I put in there!!!Date: 10/5/2005 5:33:32 PM
Author: JohnQuixote
No No Ame... Feel honored. It was, after all, YOUR design. We just produced it.
Date: 10/5/2005 6:37:45 PM
Author: ame
Date: 10/5/2005 5:33:32 PM
Author: JohnQuixote
But Id love my own mark in it...Hrmmmm...what could I put in there!!!
A teeny tiny little engraved LOUPE, what else???! The international Mark of Ame!!!
Lynn
oy! That makes two of you, I dont inhibe so I never see things like that...I can be a bit of a flake. Sorry.Date: 10/5/2005 8:15:15 PM
Author: Hamster
I thought this thread was about whiskey
(there is a brand called Maker''s Mark)
Date: 10/5/2005 8:10:03 PM
Author: Lynn B
GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!Date: 10/5/2005 6:37:45 PM
Author: ame
Date: 10/5/2005 5:33:32 PM
Author: JohnQuixote
But Id love my own mark in it...Hrmmmm...what could I put in there!!!
A teeny tiny little engraved LOUPE, what else???! The international Mark of Ame!!!
Lynn
Date: 10/5/2005 9:01:18 PM
Author: Matatora
oy! That makes two of you, I dont inhibe so I never see things like that...I can be a bit of a flake. Sorry.Date: 10/5/2005 8:15:15 PM
Author: Hamster
I thought this thread was about whiskey
(there is a brand called Maker''s Mark)
I have to agree here with Rockdoc. In all of the years in here I have never purchased a piece then resold a piece that did not have the metal content and manufactures hallmark. I believe this to be the law but cannot find the info as yet. When we used to do custom work we stamped our pieces also. On some items that are too small to stamp there was usually a karat marking like on earrings. Many designs have copyright stamps inside also. So, my advice would be to insist that the pieces custom or not be properly stamped. If there is a problem down the road there is no question on who''s piece it is.Date: 10/5/2005 9:17:06 PM
Author: RockDoc
The marking on a ring sort of serves two purposes.
It can affect the value of an item when the maker of the item, does have CRITICAL ACCLAIM (such as a major designer).
There Wink is correct. However, I wouldn''t say a Wink Jones ring now, with a marking that he made it, would have great affect in the value, but many times an artist''s critical acclaim doesn''t always happen while he''s alive or producing his designs/creations. However some of the rings and jewelry he''s posted are rather unique, and if for some reason he stopped making such items, his ''name'' could get critical acclaim when that occured.
The second issue of puting the TRADEMARK of the maker is to idenify who is ''liable'' if later proven that the metal fineness was less than the requirements made legally. Years ago in PHilly I participated in exposing UNDERKARATING with consumer reporter Herb Denenberg. It became a very popular topic and many consumer news reporters did copies of his original story.
In many of the jewelry shops in Philadelphia, many jeweler were selling gold jewelry that was marked ''14K'' - but after assaying the item the karat gold content was from 9 karat to 12 karat. In every case these underkarated items did not have the maker''s mark on them. Retailers who were selling these blamed their suppliers, however consumers that purchased these items were the ones who ultimately suffered the loss.
So if your gold item turns out not to be as marked, the hallmark ''points'' the finger at the responsible party. At the time, (and I believe they still do) the Jewelers Vigilance Committe (JVC) strong recommends to not buy jewelry that doesn''t bear the hallmark or manufacturer''s trademark.
In the last 15-20 years the marking of ''KP'' ( which stands for karat plumb ) denotes that whomever stamped it is stating the item is within the legally required tolerance(s) for that karat fineness marking AND THE TRADEMARK OF THE MANUFACTURER IS STAMPED IN THE ITEM AS WELL.
Rockdoc
Hi Wink,Date: 10/6/2005 1:04:10 PM
Author: Wink
Bill,
If I understand it correctly, the law does not require that a piece of jewelry be hallmarked, but that if it has a karat stamp then it must also have a hallmark so that the karat stamp can be enforced against the maker if it is incorrect. Thus all of the many rings seen with a karat stamp but no hallmark are in violation of the Federal Trade Commission''s rules and regulations.
Wink
Note 2 to § 23.9: Disclosure of identity of manufacturers, processors, or distributors. The National Stamping Act provides that any person, firm, corporation, or association, being a manufacturer or dealer subject to section 294 of the Act, who applies or causes to be applied a quality mark, or imports any article bearing a quality mark "which indicates or purports to indicate that such article is made in whole or in part of gold or silver or of an alloy of either metal" shall apply to the article the trademark or name of such person. 15 U.S.C. 297.
Would this be to protect the consumer, maker, both?Date: 10/6/2005 1:22:25 PM
Author: mepearl53
Hi Wink,Date: 10/6/2005 1:04:10 PM
Author: Wink
Bill,
If I understand it correctly, the law does not require that a piece of jewelry be hallmarked, but that if it has a karat stamp then it must also have a hallmark so that the karat stamp can be enforced against the maker if it is incorrect. Thus all of the many rings seen with a karat stamp but no hallmark are in violation of the Federal Trade Commission''s rules and regulations.
Wink
This is what the plumb laws were all about that Rockdoc referenced and I believe it was to apply to both manufactures and custom jewelers. Back in the 80''s our lawyer advised us to properly identify the karat content and our personal hallmark because we we going into our own custom design. I can understand a dental student or amateur hobbyist making a item for person use or favors for a friend. But, I believe a business that sells to the public must include these identifying marks. I''ve got email into both sides and am waiting their response.