Georg Jensen Marks: How to Identify and Date Them

The classic post-1945 mark is the words 'GEORG JENSEN' inside an oval made of a ring of raised dots; earlier marks (1904 onward) used variant wordings, added 'COPENHAGEN', or added designer initials (e.g. Johan Rohde 'JR', Harald Nielsen).

• 1904-c.1908: Earliest workshop marks used before 'Copenhagen' was added to the stamp.
• 1919-1927: A raised-dot oval 'GEORG JENSEN' mark is used, sometimes with designer Johan Rohde's initials.
• 1933-1944: A mark with a stylized 'G' and 'J' inside a square is used, alongside the word 'STERLING' (used 1930-1979) denoting 92.5% silver content.
• 1945-present: The company returns to a dot-oval 'GEORG JENSEN' mark closely resembling the 1919-1927 version, which complicates dating by mark shape alone.

Dating requires cross-checking the hallmark style with the silver-fineness stamp (e.g. '826S', '830S', '925S', or plain 'STERLING'), any designer initials, and city text ('COPENHAGEN'), because the 1945-onward mark closely resembles the earlier 1919-1930 mark.

• Because the post-1945 mark closely resembles the earlier 1919-1930 mark, mark shape alone can be mistaken between eras; fineness stamps and construction details must be checked together.

Under the Danish Hallmarking Act of 1893 the general Danish silver standard was 826/1000, later raised toward 830 and then 925; Georg Jensen pieces show these standards evolving in their fineness stamps over time.

Turn the piece over and light the mark from a low angle with a lamp or phone torch, which throws the impressed or engraved lines into relief; a printed or painted mark wants soft, even light instead. Fill the frame with the mark, then take a second shot of the whole piece. Do not clean tarnish off silver before photographing; the mark reads better dark. The app matches the mark and shape to the notes above.