Hallmarking
On arrival in the UK orders are sorted and catalogued. All items are weighed and any needing to be hallmarked are sent to the Assay office in Birmingham, where Luna Tree is registered. The silver is purity tested and stamped accordingly at the Assay office. The stamps include our business initials (sponsors mark) LTJ, the stamp of an anchor for the Birmingham Assay Office and the purity stamping of 999 for fine silver. Any items with a slightly less purity are stamped at 958 which is Britannia silver.
All silver items weighing over 7.78 grams by law have to be hallmarked for sale in the UK.
Hallmarking is one of the oldest forms of consumer protection, introduced in 1300’s. The Hallmark is a guarantee of quality. Firstly to the public who wish to make a purchase. Secondly for stockists also, to sell in good faith knowing the items they have for sale are genuine. There are four Assay offices in the UK. There used to be an Assay office in Chester where Luna Tree is based. This would have been very handy for us too, but this Assay office closed in 1962.
Caring for your Jewellery
Fine silver is 99.9% silver and our silver is usually between 96- 99%. Sterling silver in comparison is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper and other mixed metals. The purity of fine silver means it will tarnish less quickly than sterling silver.
Luna Tree silver loves to be worn and wearing your pieces will keep them shining. When not being worn we recommend storing your jewellery in air tight containers away from sunlight in a cool dry place. Avoid contact with harsh chemicals such as hairspray, perfume and deodorant. Do not wear your jewellery when gardening, doing DIY, or bathing. Swimming pool chemicals will bring unwanted changes to the appearance of silver.
Clean your jewellery with a silver cleaning cloth. These are available from all high street jewellers and online merchants.
Luna Tree recommends the Talk Town silver cloth.
Deep Cleaning
For a deeper clean, to remove bacteria, submerge your silver jewellery in warm water with a little washing up liquid. This is all that is required as a cleaning solution. Soak your silver for about 30 minutes in the solution and use a soft toothbrush to gently clean. Rinse in fresh clean water and pat dry before buffing with a silver cloth. Gemstone jewellery can be safely cleaned this way too.
We do not recommend using bicarbonate of soda as a cleaning agent. This is an abrasive and will leave scratches on the silver.
To remove heavy tarnish from your silver jewellery submerge your items in warm undiluted white vinegar. Leave your jewellery from 15 minutes to remove light oxidation to around an hour for heavier tarnishing.
Rinse your jewellery thoroughly with plenty of clean water and dry before buffing with a silver cloth.
