Engravings and hallmarks

There are two common methods to engrave jewellery: diamond drag and laser engraving. Products can be engraved after purchase for personalisation. Pandora uses laser engraving for our products. Pandora Rose and Pandora Shine are plated products, and we laser engrave first and then plate afterwards.

A hallmark is an indication of a precious metal’s purity with origins in ancient Egypt and Rome where official marks were placed on bars of precious metals.

A hallmark is a mark or series of marks stamped onto items made of precious metals to guarantee a certain purity, fineness or origin. It is impossible to tell how much precious metal there is in a piece of jewellery by simply looking at it. As precious metals are high in value, it is important to indicate how much is contained in any alloy used to make jewellery. Hallmarks – or fineness marks – are a meaningful way to denote the content of precious metal in a piece of jewellery and defines the metal core rather than the outer plating. Hallmarks differ from country to country. Some countries have compulsory hallmarking for import purposes and others are voluntary, but there are industry standards. Pandora have implemented the RJC Code of practice which addresses standards of product disclosures and hallmarking.

All authentic Pandora jewellery displays a number of hallmarks to identify the purity of the metal and the origin of the jewellery. Indicating its origin, the maker’s mark on all Pandora jewellery is ALE, which stands for Algot Enevoldsen, the father of Pandora’s founder, Per Enevoldsen. Some countries require other jewellery stamps, which Pandora meets by adding additional hallmarks to jewellery sold in these countries. In addition to the maker’s mark, the Pandora crown O appears on some jewellery pieces and the MET hallmark has been introduced for ‘other metals’ such as Pandora Rose. Pandora Shine is hallmarked with S925 due to its sterling silver core. Jewellery made from 14k gold is stamped with a capital “G” for gold, followed by the purity, stated as pure gold parts per thousand: G585 (58.5% pure gold). Jewellery manufactured prior to 2011 does not carry the “S” or “G” markings, which were added due to regulations in Asia.

Our hallmarks help signify authentic Pandora products. However, because Pandora jewellery is in high demand and because counterfeiters are becoming more devious in their efforts to recreate defining details, the key markings alone may not always guarantee authenticity. If you discover auction sites, web pages, stalls, retail shops or adverts in magazines, leaflets or newspapers appearing to be selling counterfeit Pandora products, please report the link and details in English to our Brand Protection team at brandprotection@pandora.net

Some of Pandora jewellery is stamped with factory marks that indicate the crafting facility used to produce the item. Factory marks are not part of the official Pandora hallmarks and carry no importance for consumers. Furthermore, some countries have independent third party Assay offices, which test the purity of precious metal jewellery and award hallmarks accordingly.