Documents Needed for an Assay and Hallmarking Service: The Order of Setting Up

Why does this service run differently?

This service passes judgement on the purity of a product. The result you give is taken as the basis for the value of a sale, a security or an inheritance.

So it is not assessed like an ordinary commercial activity. On determining and hallmarking the fineness of precious metal, the legislation relating to the Turkish State Mint is decisive; the equipment and staff conditions expected of authorised assay offices sit within that frame.

Three legs: authorisation, equipment, staff

Think of the set-up as a three-legged balance. Lose one and you cannot measure; leave them uneven and the result wavers.

The third row is most often skipped. Equipment is bought, the laboratory fitted out, and only then the search begins for a qualified person to sign the result.

First leg: the authorisation side

Here the question of carrying on the service under defined conditions, and of the business being authorised, arises directly. The notion of an authorised assay office stands at the centre.

No definite list of conditions belongs here. Expectations on equipment, laboratory conditions and staff competence shift with the regulation in force. Have them confirmed in writing by the Turkish State Mint and the relevant institution. Never order equipment on the strength of something said verbally.

Second leg: equipment and method of measurement

Measurement is the core of this work. Purity in precious metal is determined by several methods, each with its own sensitivity, equipment and limit.

Before deciding on equipment, write down which product group you will measure and to what sensitivity. A method reading from the surface and one measuring from within may not agree; equipment bought without knowing that difference leaves you defenceless at the first objection.

Three questions on the equipment decision

1. On which product group does this equipment give a result, and to what sensitivity
2. At what interval, against which reference and by whom will calibration be carried out
3. What replaces it if it fails, and how many days does the service stop

Have the second question written into the equipment contract. A result from equipment with no calibration trail loses its foundation the moment a dispute arises.

Third leg: staff and signing authority

The competence of the signatory is the heart of this work. Few people know how precious metal behaves and can see where a measurement may go wrong.

When recruiting, raise the vocational qualification certificate (MYK) and learn from the relevant institution what competence is expected. Set your own internal control beside it: have one item measured by two people and compare.

Conditions sought in the laboratory space

The measuring environment affects the result independently of the equipment. The decision on the space cannot come before the equipment decision, but it must come with it.

• A bench area insulated from vibration and from draughts
• A room where temperature and humidity move within narrow limits
• Wiring that meets the equipment’s earthing and uninterrupted power needs
• Separate areas for receiving, holding and handing back items
• Cameras with sufficient retention and a locked storage arrangement

The third item is the hardest to solve by refurbishment. Before taking premises, have a technician check whether the wiring will carry the equipment load.

Where does the municipal file come in?

The workplace opening and operating licence is taken from the district municipality, and the file typically holds the following.

• Application form and declaration
• Lease or title deed
• Occupancy permit and zoning status information
• Tax certificate and chamber registration document
• Fire brigade suitability letter, according to the activity and the area
• Documents from the authorisation side, by scope of service

This is not a closed list; municipalities may ask for further papers on their own practice. If you will melt down or carry out chemical work on the premises, request the establishment classification in writing with your planned operations.

Reports and record-keeping

Every result you give is a document. Whether it can be defended afterwards depends on the quality of your record.

1. Recording the item on receipt with a photograph and a description
2. Writing the method, equipment and calibration details into the report
3. Making the signatory visible on the report
4. Filing report copies in date order
5. Tying the handover to the customer to a signed record

The second item sets a practice apart. A report that does not name its method and equipment cannot be compared when it conflicts with another measurement.

Customer identification concerns this service too

Businesses operating in the precious metals field meet customer identification and suspicious transaction reporting obligations. An assay and hallmarking service cannot be counted wholly outside that line.

That the obligation exists is clear; thresholds and procedure are set and updated under the legislation. Describe how you deliver the service and ask your accountant for a written assessment.

Calendar: how much time does each leg want?

The one behaviour that shortens the total is running steps in parallel. Looking for premises and starting interviews while the research continues pulls the calendar forward.

Points to confirm in writing before opening

1. The authorisation conditions for your service scope
2. Equipment specifications and the calibration expectation
3. The competence expected of the signatory
4. The conditions sought in the laboratory space
5. The establishment classification and the fire brigade suitability position

Ask for these five headings in writing from the Mint, the relevant institution and the district municipality. No single figure can be written for charges and fees; they move with the municipality’s own schedule and are revised annually. For the order in which institutions come in, see the business licence roadmap; for where the equipment and set-up investment sits, our jewellery and accessories sector page. If a retail side is also planned, see our jewellery shop article; if the silver line is in view, our silver shop article.

In Short

• Setting up stands on three legs: authorisation, equipment and laboratory, staff
• The equipment list follows the service scope; no order goes in before the conditions are clear
• The notion of an authorised assay office stands at the centre of this line
• Ask the Turkish State Mint and the relevant institution formally for the equipment and staff conditions
• Different methods of measurement carry different sensitivities and different limits
• The calibration interval and the person responsible are written into the equipment contract
• Do not leave the qualified person who will sign the result until last
• Vibration, humidity and wiring affect the result independently of the equipment
• The electrical installation is the hardest item to solve by refurbishment
• Method, equipment and calibration details must be visible on the report
• The thresholds of the customer identification obligation are set and updated under the legislation

Quick Glossary

Fineness: the measure showing the purity of a product containing precious metal. Calibration: the regular checking of an instrument’s accuracy against a reference. Authorisation: the administrative permission showing a service may be provided once defined conditions are met. Assay report: the technical assessment showing an item’s nature on the basis of measurement.

Next Step

Let us put your service scope, your equipment list and your set-up calendar in order together: consultation request form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated: September 2026