HALLMARKS

Fonte de Valores, Unipessoal Lda operates under Activity Licence No. T2636, and all its articles are legally hallmarked, where applicable.

In accordance with the Legal Framework for the Jewellery Trade and Assay Offices (RJOC), as amended by Decree-Law No. 120/2017 of 15 September, an article made of precious metal is legally hallmarked when it bears the marks/symbols of the following punches:

  • Responsibility, manufacturing or equivalent mark;
  • Assay office mark and fineness mark.

As set out in Article 3 of the RJOC:

  • “Assay office punch” mark, the punch bearing the engraving corresponding to the assay office or independent testing and hallmarking body that uses it, and which generally corresponds to a specific metal and legal fineness, used to certify articles made of precious metals at legal finenesses, under the terms and for the purposes set out in the RJOC;
  • “Responsibility, manufacturing or equivalent punch”, the punch bearing the identifying engraving of the person responsible for placing the article made of precious metal on the national market.



MARKS FROM OTHER EU OR EEA COUNTRIES

Articles made of precious metal originating in a Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area may be marketed on the national market without being assayed and hallmarked by the assay office, provided they comply with the requirements set out in Article 11 of the RJOC:

  • Manufacturer's responsibility mark or equivalent;
  • Assay office mark and fineness mark, where the former does not include the fineness;
  • Deposit with the Assay Office of the document proving the registration of the relevant responsibility, manufacturing or equivalent mark in the country that carried out the inspection and quality assurance;
  • Recognition by the Portuguese Institute for Quality, subject to a favourable opinion from the Director of the Assay Office. You may contact the Portuguese Institute for Quality for further information about the recognised entities, metals and finenesses.

Items originating in a Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area and placed on the national market are exempt from hallmarking only if they meet the exemption requirements under Portuguese law, even if they are exempt from hallmarking under the legislation of the country of origin. They must therefore be hallmarked at the Portuguese Assay Office, or at the Assay Office in the country of origin, provided that it is included in the aforementioned list of recognised entities, metals and finenesses.

In case of doubt about the authenticity of the marks, the buyer may refer to the Assay Offices for verification;

ASSESSORS REGISTERED WITH THE IMPRENSA NACIONAL CASA DA MOEDA (INCM)

The list of assessors may be consulted on the INCM website.

VIEWING OUR ITEMS

Our items may be viewed at Alexandra Matias Jewellery.