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The Pennyweight

Topic hub

Care & Repair

Keeping a piece alive: what can be resized, what can be replated, what heat will destroy, and which hallmarks and assay marks tell you what you actually own. The unglamorous half of a purchase, and the half that decides its lifespan.

Where to start

Comparisons

Glossary terms

Hallmark
A stamped mark recording metal fineness — compulsory in some countries, not in the US.
Assay
The test that determines how much precious metal an item actually contains.
Resizing Tolerance
How far a ring can be resized before the design is compromised.
Treated Stone
A stone altered after cutting — clarity-enhanced, irradiated or HPHT-processed.
Vermeil
Sterling silver plated with gold to a regulated minimum thickness.
Grosgrain
A ribbed woven ribbon used for hatbands, waistbands and bag trim.

The short list

Three entries from the ledger — the full ranking lives on the best-of pages.

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