Materials & hallmark
Every Hoyara piece is sterling silver 925, tested and hallmarked by the Portuguese Assay Office under Decree-Law 120/2017. Here's what that means.
Materials
All Hoyara pieces are made from 925 sterling silver, also known as sterling silver. The alloy contains 925 parts pure silver per thousand. The remaining 75 parts are usually copper, which gives the silver the necessary hardness to withstand daily wear and tear without losing its shine.
Pure, unalloyed silver would be too soft to be worked by hand. 925 silver strikes the perfect balance between purity and durability: it is the same standard that has been used by leading jewellers since the 12th century.
This alloy reacts with your skin, the air and the creams you use. With a little care, it will retain its beauty for decades. See the care guide to keep it looking as good as new.
24K gold plating
Pieces with a gold-plated silver finish are coated with 24-carat gold applied by electroplating onto 925 sterling silver. Beneath the gold plating, the item is exactly the same sterling silver, with the same contrast and the same hallmark.
Gold plating is a thin layer designed to highlight the piece’s design. Treat it with extra care: this will help it retain its shine for longer. See the gold-plated silver section in the care guide.
The plating can be renewed after a some time. Find out how in the care guide.
Hallmark
In Portugal, all silver items above a certain weight must be assayed and hallmarked by the Assay Office, a department of the National Printing Office and Mint (INCM). This process, regulated by Decree-Law 120/2017, guarantees the buyer that the item they receive is of the stated purity.
The hallmark, known as the 'contraste', is stamped onto each item after the silver has been cast and laboratory-tested. It takes the form of a small symbol defined by the Assay Office, stamped alongside the indication 925. Without this mark, an item sold as sterling silver is not legally guaranteed as such.
Every Hoyara piece is tested by the Porto Assay Office. The mark sits on the inside of the ring, the back of the pendant, or the clasp of the bracelet. It's discreet, but it's your guarantee.
The three marks
Before leaving the atelier, each piece carries three official marks. Together, they identify the material, the workshop, and the Assay Office that tested it.
- Hallmark. Applied by the Assay Office after testing the alloy. It indicates the declared content and identifies the assay office that carried out the test (Lisbon or Porto Assay Office). It guarantees that the material corresponds to the declared specifications.
- Hallmark. Indicates the purity of the metal. All Hoyara pieces are 925, which corresponds to 925 parts silver per thousand, known as sterling silver.
- Manufacturer’s mark (hallmark). The workshop’s signature, registered with the Porto Assay Office in the name of Hoyara, in Vila Nova de Gaia. It identifies the workshop where the piece was made, in the same way that a painter signs a canvas. It is a small mark, applied by hand during the final stage of production.
The full table of official Portuguese hallmarks, in force since 1 January 2021, is published by Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda:
If you have doubts about the authenticity of a piece's hallmarks, you can go to any Assay Office in Lisbon or Porto and request verification. It's a buyer's right, guaranteed by the same Decree-Law 120/2017.
Precious metals pricing
Precious metal prices change daily with international markets. You can check the reference price used by Portugal's jewellery sector through the following channels:
- Reference prices published by AORP · industry association
- Bank of Portugal · exchange information and indicators
Questions about materials
If you want to know more about the silver, the gold plating, or the hallmark of a specific piece, write to us. Every piece is unique, and the story of its materials is part of it.