Although not required to by law, (because of the weight of such items), Charles Horner would pay for their pieces to be assayed, knowing their customers preferred the guarantee that comes with fully hallmarked pieces, even if it meant the item cost more.
The Charles Horner 'C.H' makers mark, was registered at only three assay offices, Chester, Birmingham, and Sheffield. Most of their assayed pieces carry the mark for Chester, but Birmingham was used occasionally up until 1962, when the Chester assay office closed, and Birmingham became their main assay office. Sheffield was only ever used occasionally in the 1950s and 1980s. If a piece is marked 'C.H', but assayed in London, (or in any other assay office not mentioned here), then it's not by Charles Horner; they weren't the only jewellers to use the 'C.H' mark.
Some early pieces, (circa 1905-1920), which may have been intended for export, were just marked 'C.H STERLING', and some later pieces, (circa 1935-1950), and clearly made for the home market, were also marked 'C.H STERLING', (or just 'STERLING').
Their range of costume jewellery produced after WWII were rarely marked at all.
The intertwined CH registered trademark, (see enamelled ring above), was first used by the company in 1915, so if a seller judges a piece, which is marked with the intertwined CH trademark, to date from the late Victorian/early Edwardian period, they're wrong, and the item will date to somewhere between 1915-1940. The enamelled white dots on this ring, which give the effect of tiny seed pearls, dates this ring to before 1920.
Another mistake I commonly see, is sellers attributing pieces by Cook, Holland & Co, to Charles Horner. Charles Horner Ltd were never '& Co', so their pieces were never marked 'C.H & Co'.
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