Voluntary marks

Assay Office Mark

A heart-shaped mark with a crown inside it.
 Finnish Assay Office Mark

An Assay Office Mark shows that an assay office has analysed the precious metal content of the article and checked its conformity. Each assay office uses its own hallmark to certify an article it has analysed. Only an accredited assay office has the right to use an Assay Office Mark. While the Assay Office Mark is a voluntary mark, it can also be used to replace a mandatory responsibility mark.

At present, there is no assay office in Finland hallmarking articles of precious metals. For the contact details of foreign assay offices, visit Hallmarking Convention.

Rather than hallmarking articles, Tukes grants the right to hallmark articles of precious metals and supervises the operation of an assay office. 

Before 2001, all articles of precious metals were required to be hallmarked in Finland. You can almost always find an Assay Office Mark onold pieces of jewellery.

CCM mark

Finland is party to the international Convention on the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals (CCM Convention, or the Hallmarking Convention).

This Convention creates a common market for articles made of precious metals. Articles with the CCM mark (Common Control Mark) can be sold with no other marks in all signatory states. The use of the CCM mark makes exporting products easier. Importing is also simple if the articles have a CCM mark.

An authorised assay office can mark an article with a CCM mark. The assay office marks an article after checking it and finding that it conforms with the requirements of the Convention. Each signatory state has an authorised assay office that can mark articles (with the exception of Finland). 

Articles with a CCM mark are accepted as such in all 22 Member States of the CCM Convention. Some non-member countries also accept CCM-marked articles on their markets without additional marks.

Traditional CCM marks (type 1)

Platinum

Traditional platinum CCM mark, type 1. The mark features a diamond-shaped base, a balance scale motif, and the fineness mark 900.

Gold

Traditional gold CCM mark, type 1. A rounded mark featuring a balance scale motif and the fineness mark 750.

Palladium

Traditional palladium CCM mark, type 1. A wide-angled mark featuring a balance scale motif and the fineness mark 500.

Silver

Traditional silver CCM mark, type 1. A polygonal mark featuring a balance scale motif and the fineness mark 925.  

New CCM mark (type 2)

New CCM mark, type 2. An octagonal mark featuring a balance scale motif.
 

Type 1 CCM marks indicate the precious metal concerned and its content. A type 2 mark must be accompanied with a fineness mark that also indicates the metal (such as a chemical symbol).

As there currently is no assay office in Finland, a CCM mark cannot be obtained for articles of precious metals in this country. However, you may have your product inspected by the assay office of another CCM Member State.

See the CCM Convention website for the official Convention texts. This website also contains the contact details of all authorised assay offices in the Member States of the Convention. You should contact one of these assay offices if you would like to have a CCM mark on your article of precious metal.

Locality mark

The locality mark indicates the location where an article of precious metal was manufactured. A locality mark can only be applied to articles of precious metals manufactured in Finland. Using a locality mark is an excellent way of emphasising the fact that an article was manufactured in Finland.

For all locality marks, see Tukes responsibility mark register.

Since 2001, the shape of new locality marks has been a shield. The shape of previously approved locality marks can be a rectangle or square. Those marks also remain valid if they have not been annulled. The locality marks active in the register are in use regardless of mergers between municipalities. Multiple different locality marks may also be in use within the same municipality.

A municipality can apply for a new locality mark from Tukes: Locality mark application

 

Date mark

The date mark indicates the year in which an article of precious metal was manufactured or imported. The date mark is a specific combination of a letter and a digit. For the date marks of different years used in Finland, see the date mark index

Letter/
digit		 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
A 1810 1834 1858 1882 1906 1930 1954 1978 2002 2026 2050 2074
B 1811 1835 1859 1883 1907 1931 1955 1979 2003 2027 2051 2075
C 1812 1836 1860 1884 1908 1932 1956 1980 2004 2028 2052 2076
D 1813 1837 1861 1885 1909 1933 1957 1981 2005 2029 2053 2077
E 1814 1838 1862 1886 1910 1934 1958 1982 2006 2030 2054 2078
F 1815 1839 1863 1887 1911 1935 1959 1983 2007 2031 2055 2079
G 1816 1840 1864 1888 1912 1936 1960 1984 2008 2032 2056 2080
H 1817 1841 1865 1889 1913 1937 1961 1985 2009 2033 2057 2081
I 1818 1842 1866 1890 1914 1938 1962 1986 2010 2034 2058 2082
K 1819 1843 1867 1891 1915 1939 1963 1987 2011 2035 2059 2083
L 1820 1844 1868 1892 1916 1940 1964 1988 2012 2036 2060 2084
M 1821 1845 1869 1893 1917 1941 1965 1989 2013 2037 2061 2085
N 1822 1846 1870 1894 1918 1942 1966 1990 2014 2038 2062 2086
O 1823 1847 1871 1895 1919 1943 1967 1991 2015 2039 2063 2087
P 1824 1848 1872 1896 1920 1944 1968 1992 2016 2040 2064 2088
Q 1825 1849 1873 1897 1921 1945 1969 1993 2017 2041 2065 2089
R 1826 1850 1874 1898 1922 1946 1970 1994 2018 2042 2066 2090
S 1827 1851 1875 1899 1923 1947 1971 1995 2019 2043 2067 2091
T 1828 1852 1876 1900 1924 1948 1972 1996 2020 2044 2068 2092
U 1829 1853 1877 1901 1925 1949 1973 1997 2021 2045 2069 2093
V 1830 1854 1878 1902 1926 1950 1974 1998 2022 2046 2070 2094
X 1831 1855 1879 1903 1927 1951 1975 1999 2023 2047 2071 2095
Y 1832 1856 1880 1904 1928 1952 1976 2000 2024 2048 2072 2096
Z 1833 1857 1881 1905 1929 1953 1977 2001 2025 2049 2073 2097

Using a date mark is voluntary, but nevertheless a recommended means of indicating the date of manufacture or import of an article. The year of manufacture is also a vital piece of information in terms of the article's history. Responsibility marks may be attributable to different parties in different years. For more information on the history of articles of precious metals, visit the Hallmark Committee's website at www.leimat.fi.