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Jewelry Stamps: What Do They Really Mean?

Written by Quick Jewelry Repairs
April 20, 2016

Many of us have seen the small numbers or letters engraved inside a ring band or near the clasp of a piece of jewelry that we own.  But how many of us understand what information those stamps are actually giving us?

In this post, we’ll walk through the different stamps, what they mean, and what you need to know about stamping laws to ensure you’re getting the most accurate information about your jewelry.  Let’s start with the basics:

  • 10K, 14K, 18K, 24K, etc – if this is the ONLY stamp on the piece, it is telling you first and foremost that the piece is solid gold and secondly, the karat fineness of the gold.  For example, let’s look at 14K.  14 out of 24 particles in the metal are pure gold.  The others can be a mix of elements including palladium, copper, etc.  These additional elements are what determine the specific color of the gold (we’ll talk about this in an upcoming post).
    750-jewelry-stamp-18k-gold

    750 stamp on jewelry means 18k Gold

  • 417, 585, or 750 – this is just another way of telling us the gold content.  However, instead of referring to how many parts out of 24 are pure gold, this number is now out of 1,000.  So for 10K gold jewelry, 417 out of 1,000 parts are pure gold.  For 14K gold jewelry, 585 parts out of 1,000 are pure gold. So when you see 750 that means 18K gold jewelry because the metal is made of 750 parts per 1,000 of pure gold.
  • 900, 900PT, PT900, 950, 950PT, PT950 – all of these stamps designate that the piece is made of one of the two most common platinum alloys.  900, 900PT, or PT 900 all signify that the metal used is 900 parts per 1,000 pure platinum, while 950, 950PT, and PT950 denote 950 parts per 1,000 are pure platinum.
  • 925 – a piece with this stamp is made of sterling silver. Legally, to be considered sterling silver a piece has to consist of 92.5% pure silver, with only 7.5% other elements mixed in.
  • GP – pieces with this stamp have been plated with gold, but have another metal underneath. It almost always has the karat fineness of the plating listed, i.e. 18K GP.
  • HGE – this is the abbreviation for high grade electroplate, which is another way of denoting that the jewelry you are looking at is not solid gold. These pieces also generally display the karat fineness of the gold.
  • GF – this stands for gold-filled, which is a term that means a thin layer of gold was bonded to a base metal to make this piece.

So now that we have the basic stamp meanings down, let’s go through some of the most frequently asked questions that we hear from customers:

There’s another symbol next to the metal content stamp that isn’t on your list. What does that mean?

Most likely, the stamp you are seeing here is the manufacturer’s trademark or the trademark of the retailer selling the piece.  This is legally required if the item is stamped and serves as a guarantee of sorts that the manufacturer/retailer vouches for the accuracy of the stamp on the metal.

My jewelry piece isn’t stamped at all.  Does this mean it’s not made of precious metal? 

Not necessarily.  The legal guidelines on stamping don’t require all pieces made of precious metal to be stamped.  However, they do require the manufacturer or retailer to disclose any precious metal content.  This could be via discussion in the store upon purchase, on a tag attached to the piece, or on the receipt for the product itself.

The clasp/closure/earring backs on my piece are stamped, but the rest of the item is not.  Does that mean the whole thing is made of precious metal?

Again, not necessarily. Sometimes the clasp of a piece is made of a different metal than the chain, so definitely confirm with the store clerk or jeweler that the entire item is made of the metal from the stamping.  Likewise, earring backs may have been accidentally swapped and may not be made of the same metal as the rest of the earrings, especially the posts, so double checking is always best.

My piece has a name/date engraved on it.  Is this the designer or year that the piece was made?

For well-known brands and designers, this can be the case, but it isn’t necessarily a correct assumption.  For example, Tiffany & Co. has several Paloma Picasso designs that would be engraved as such and may include the date.  However, it could also be that the piece is vintage or estate and was engraved with the previous owner’s name, anniversary, etc.

What other questions do you have about jewelry stamp meanings?

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Samantha heinrich

I have a 10 k gold stamped ring. It also has another stamp that looks like YL or if looked at the other way could be 7h. What does this other stamp mean? How do I know if the diamonds are real?

Chiara

Hi Samantha,

From talking to our expert Jewelers, the stamp is most probably YL and is a jewelers signature stamp we cannot tell you much more than that. In order to truly determine whether the diamond is real, you will need to get it tested with an appraisal.

Hope this helps!
Chiara

Jason

Hi I’ve got a necklace stamped 18k and bracelet stamped 18k and there the only stamps

Jules

Most likely 18k gold

Rhoda

I bet it is for yellow. Is your fold yellow or white? If yellow gold then that is the YL

Susan Fersaci

What does yl mean ?

Susanne nicholas

thank u

Susanne nicholas

this is the stamp

20210511_153644.jpg
Carrie

Hi, can you help me identify this stamp please?

EB7B9901 0575 48C6 BFA2 AFE6F9A6F188.jpeg
Kristie

JR Woods & Sons

Rellew

Did you find anything out? I have a similar ring in the family.

Bethany

I have a brooch that’s silver toned with pearls (unsure if pearls are real or fake) but there are 2 stars inside a circle stamped on it. What does that mean? I can’t seem to find anything online regarding it

J.S.

Samantha,

I have a bracelet charm which dates back to the 1930s or before (possibly long before), which has a mark like that, a figure after 14k. It turned out to be some kind of trident hallmark with a curved fork part, and not numbers. I have not yet been able to find out which company had that hallmark, but I have seen it on other pieces I inherited.

J.S.

Mary Foster

Are there initials at the bottom of the trident?

Cindy Bottoms

What does 31c mean in a means gold ring? It is stamped 2 times

David Delclef

31ct diamond

Sarah Takash

Awoooga

Delm23

HHaha seriously?
You say 31 carat?? Lol

angelina

I have a carousel charm that I believe is 14k marked on the bottom but on the top part it says 14koz Does anybody know what this means

Jules

It means the same thing, 14 karats of gold per ounce of the total mass. Pure gold is 24 karats in every ounce. 14 karats makes it a gold alloy; aka 58.5% gold and 41.5% other metal

Hope Derksen

I have a wedding ring from a grandmother and it has the 14k but after that it says “customized”. What does that mean?

Chiara

Hi Hope,

“Customized” could mean a few things:

  • It could be that the ring was altered from the original,
  • It is not a standard metal or design,
  • It is an abbreviation from the original.

Every jeweler likes to put their own twist on their work, so we don’t know for sure!

I hope this helps!
Chiara 🙂

Mel

What does w302 14k mean on my Jewellery

Chiara

Hi Mel,

W302 refers to the manufacturer’s trademark and the 14K means that the piece is 14 karat gold.

I hope this helps you!
Chiara

Christine

I have a ring that is stamped 15C TH. What does that mean?

Annabelle

Hi Christine,

The 15C could indicate 15 karat gold, or 62.5% gold content. This particular gold content value is often seen in older British jewelry.

Linda K

Hi, I have a piece marked TCPA/IC. That is the only marking. Would you be able to tell us what this means? Thanks!

Joan White

On the inside of my ring it says 742,what does that mean?

Jason

Hi Joan,

We need a bit more of information to give you a better answer:

      Does your ring happen to platinum?
      Are there any other inscriptions next to the numbers?
Patti

It is dull yellow gold with what looks like white gold setting for the diamond this is an old ring found among my gmothers jewerly I know nothing about it

Charles

Hi I also have 742 c and has 5 1 Roman numeral engraved

Anthony bowick

What is 925 rt

Annabelle

Hi Anthony,

925 indicates sterling silver. RT is probably the manufacturer/designer’s stamp.

Charles

742c 18k gold 1950

Jade

I have an old ring that has the letters C•A stamped on it, does anyone know what that means?

Carla

C ^ A = Chateau D’Argent, Jewelry manufacturer in Montréal, QC, founded in 1980 or 1993.

Teresa

Thank you for that info. My aquamarine gemstone ring is stamped 925 C^A and I had no further identification. Much appreciated!

katie

what about b^c?

Barbie

I use what I was told was platinum and diamond. The Mark’s are 14i and a lowercase g*. That’s all I find

Annabelle

Hi there,

Are you sure it says 14i instead of 14k? 14k indicates 58.3% gold content. The g* is most likely the manufacturer/designer stamp.

Celia

I have a pair of earrings marked TRE 10K and they are silver. What does the TRE stand for?

Lawrence Parr

Larry what does M H 8 CO stamp mean on gold?

Desiree

What does 27 mean when stamped inside a ring band?

Chiara

Hi Desiree,

Would you be able to provide some more information for me to help identify the stamp? I.e. what material is it, and is there anything stamped on the inside of the ring band?

Chiara

Kenzie

I also have a 27 stamp inside my ring. It’s a 14k gold diamond ring. And also has a stamp that says Keepsake (which is the jewelry line it’s from)… but I too don’t know what the 27 means?

Molly

0.27 is the diamond carat

bridget

what does kclstersil its stamped on the inside of my ring

Chiara

This most likely will be a jewelers trademark stamp as it isn’t a standardized stamp referring to materials or quality of materials.

Carla

KCL is the company who made the jewelry. It seems to be from the 1950’s or so. SterSil is short for Sterling Silver.

Pepi

Hi have a broach with the number 800k it’s very old and possibly made in Germany. What does this mean. Thank u regards Pepi

Chiara

Hi Pepi!

With the help of our expert jewelers, we believe that the stamp on your brooch is a jewelers trademark which can be very difficult to trace especially if the piece is very old! If it is old then it might need to be polished to clearly see what the stamp is, as it might be something different.

Thanks
Chiara

Mary

What is the meaning of 3 and 4 dots
Inside the ring there is no other number or letters its only a dots it only realy like this ( …. )
Maybe someone knows about it thank in advance for the answer’s

Annabelle

Hi Mary,

They don’t indicate metal content, so it could be either a personal inscription (if this was a secondhand/pre-owned ring) or the manufacturer/designer’s stamp.

Tiffany Joseph

Following

Al Levingston

I have a small diamond ring stamped 10k and. What looks like a c and a actual star can u tell me what the c start means ? Ty in a

Jim McRaney

My gold bracelet has 074 above the 14K stamp. I have search the web and can’t find out what 074 means.

Chiara

Hi Jim,

I have consulted our expert jeweler about your stamp, and 074 doesn’t have any significance to the ring, instead it is most likely going to be a jewelers trademark stamp.

I hope this helps and if you have any more questions please let me know!

Chiara

Andy Whitwham

Hi, we have had a ring handed down to us, and on the ring it says 10K and what looks like three letters TWD ( I think ).. Wonder if you could shed a little light on those three letters?… Also we are deciding whether to get the ring valued…many thanks ~ andy

Chiara

Hi Andy!

It looks like TWD is a jewelers trademark stamp upon checking with our expert jewelers, and has no significance to the quality of the ring. However an appraisal is something I can help you with, a ring appraisal is beneficial as it is required for insurance purposes and to know the retail market value of your ring if you were to sell it. If you are still on the fence, here are some thoughts to consider about jewelry appraisals

I hope this helps and please let me know if you have anymore questions!

Chiara

Becca

I have a pair of ear rings with a D stamp on the back and also a ring that looks like it has a small heart on the inside of the band any clue as to what they mean?

Chiara

Hi Becca!

So upon talking with our expert jewelers, neither of those embellishments are relating to your jewelry quality, instead it will most likely be a jewelers’ trademark stamp.

Please let me know if you have anymore questions!

Chiara

Felie

Do you know what the symbol that looks like the Chinese cancer zodiac symbol inside the band

Madeline

Hi, I have a hand me down ring that has 3 gems & is sterling silver. It has a stamp MKV on the inside. Any idea who the jeweler is?

Nicki

I come across a silver diamond ring that is only stamped with PS. I’m trying to figure out the meaning of it.

Annabelle

Manufacturer/designer’s stamp

Bri

I have a 10k gold dome ring made in turkey that has a RL in front of the 10k what does that mean?

Miguel

Does it mean Ralph Loren

Sandy

My friend has a piece of jewellery stamped 1365 AR
Would u know what that means please?

Jan B

A Cameo Brooch stamped with 25M GOLD PL TD WBS. ?? the meaning is?????

T

Have MTXX stamped in the back of 2 Older silver earrings for a school teacher It has 123 ABC a book , peculiar and apple on the earrings, What does MTXX mean please?

Timothy Tolbert

My ring is stamped 18Y does that mean 18 karot yellow gold or what

Annabelle

Hi Timothy,

Yes, that is correct! 18Y is one variation of the stamp that is used to represent 18k yellow gold; sometimes it’ll look like 18K, 18KT, or 18Kt.
I hope you find this useful; let me know if you have any additional questions!

Annabelle

Sammy

I have silver earring that are stamped 14K 585 C8S 64. What does the C8S 64 mean?

Wayne

Hi I have a bracket stamped k75 wooundrring what it means

Cath

Hi! I have a ring that has 258 T stamp on it. I am not so sure about this since it was just given to me. There are also no other engravings on it. Can you tell me more about this?

Margaret

I have a string of pearls, ad the clash had a symbol on it. No numbers or letters. What dose that means

Annabelle

Hi Margaret,

It’s the manufacturer/designer’s stamp.

Cathy

I have a pendant (set with a small gem) with the following stamped on it: 925 HDIAM
I know that 925 means that it is sterling silver. Does the DIAM indicate that the gem is a diamond? If so, what does the “H” mean? Or is HDIAM a jeweler’s trademark?

Cassandra

I have a gold ring that has 18 mgl and nothing else

Summer

I am considering buying a ring that is stamped k18 0.43 and either WG or WB. I’m being told it is solid white gold 18 karat and that the 0.43 stands for the diamond carat weight. Does that seem correct?
Thanks!

Meem

That sounds correct sounds like 18kt white gold .43 ct weight

Steve J

What does the letter G with a ring around the top mean in 10k white/ yellow

Annabelle

It’s the manufacturer/designer’s stamp.

Debbie Creason

I have a gold ring with diamonds inbedded in it. It has FTH and then 100VA on it? What could this mean?

Heidi Cole

Hi i have a ring stamped 10k 1k and tiny circled c. Can you tell me what that means?

Annabelle

Hi Heidi,

The circled c can mean several things depending on the age of this particular ring. If it’s from the 1950s and up, the circled c most likely indicates that it’s a copyrighted item. If it’s even older than that, it could be the trademark of the producer. Let me know if you have any additional questions!

Annabelle

aungthulwin

Please 98.6% Stamp on ring ??? what mean 98.6% ???

Annabelle

I’ve never seen a % stamp on a ring like that. It might indicate the metal content, but that doesn’t seem legitimate.

Amy Esselborn

It means you dont have a fever 😍

Jay

I have what I believe to be a silver charm bracelet. The jump ring is stamped 976 and on the other side just the letter A (not A1 to indicate silver plated), what does the “A” indicate? Thanks!

Annabelle

Hi Jay,

The A is most likely a trademark stamp, since the 976 indicates the purity of the silver. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Annabelle

Melissa

I found a ring that has a green stone and unique artistry around the stone. Looks very old and I had to clean and polish it several times to start seeing the Silver. I finally saw an engraving on the backside of the ring and it spells out “STERLING” all caps and a “S” with a line going thru it. Can you please help me out with some information….thank you

Candace

I have a stainless steel dog tag necklace.
On the back says TSD. Any help about this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Jennifer

I was given a bracelet with RM stamped on it i would love to know if anyone knows what it means

Renae

What is does stamp 10k TUR SR mean?

Meem

Sounds like it’s 10 kt gold made in Turkey & the SR could be the maker name .. look up Turkish jewelry marks with those initials ☺️

Lily Campos

Hello, I have a bracelet with making 10k on one side of and JRW on the other, what does JRW mean? Thank you in advance

Tap

JRW is the Maker Mark and stand for John Woodlly from Woodlly Jeweller

Jaymes

I have a charm of mother Mary holding Jesus well I can’t barely see the engravings but it looks like u18or something Hong like it I have a pic close up but can’t seem to send it here can u possibly tell with it

shannon

I have earings stamped s.sil 380926 have no idea wat it means

destani

sterling silver

Ehab

Hey so I have a neckless stamped with the numbers 876 is that white gold and if so what karet is it

Jules

21k gold

Laura Hughes

What does the letters IC engraved mean

Ima Case

I have a pair of earrings that have a 45 stamped on the inside of them and I can’t find what It means. Can you please help me out?

Tracymccurry

I got a ring with the number 10 inside, but no other markings or letters… do you know what this is?

Jules

Most likely the size of there is no k after it

Darlene

I have a 10k gold diamond engagement ring inside it had CG what does that mean?

Donna

hi Darlene, i have the same mark on my ring and with real diamonds they have been checked and the gold is real but also i do not know what CG Means
looks like yours is real like mine. as i had mine checked and all is good and real even the diamonds with natural mined sapphire
perhaps its the ahm maker or something the store or might mean clarity g or i honestly don’t know but i do know u have a real RING ur DIAMONDS are real

Dorelyn Loachamin

What does 14K FTH V means?

Olena

750 ⭐️ 389 VA stamped on the earrings, let me know what that means? Thanks

Bulac

May I ask if you have checked with jeweller if 389 is real gold? Thanks

Annabelle

Hi there,

This doesn’t seem to be a known gold stamp.

Liesl Carter

I’m with all those just above here with a “10”. I have an eagle ring with just a10 behind one of its wings. But the ring appears to be silver. What do you make of it,?

Pia

Italian stamp for 18K Gold, star 389 VA is the registration number for the goldsmith in Varese.

Jon

What does 750 star16 mean? I know 750 is 18k gold but any idea about star#?

I saw a post in another discussion & they had a 14k gold with star8.

Could it be that star8, star16, star24 would correspond to 14k,18k,24k respectively?

Just what came to mind after reading that.

Thanks for your time!

Annabelle

It’s probably the manufacturer’s stamp. It’s redundant to stamp it twice with the metal content.

Shayla

425k TM is what it looks like but unsure what does it mean if it is

Annabelle

Hi Shayla,

If the item is gold that probably means 42.5% gold.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

Annabelle

Anne

My mothers sapphire and diamond ring also has the marks PLR and PMS8 (or could be a B) stamped on it as well as 375 which I know about. What do the first letters mean please. I don’t wear the ring as it’s a bit of a knuckle duster!

Angela Frye

I was given my mothers ring when she passed away 8 years ago. This ring is gold with 4 slightly large stone in the middle and 14 smaller stones around them. Inside the band on one side it has LOI3 and on the other side it has 14KP. The rings stones all make it look like a rounded marquise shape. Could you tell me what all it means?

Thank you

Mike C

14KP is for 14 Karat Plumb Gold. This means that it is exactly 14K. Most things marked 14K are somewhere between 13-15K gold actually.

Amanda

My jewelry has 925 and 30 engraved on it. What does the 30 mean?

Sharon

I have a pendant with the number 7970 on it with a C inside a circle and B any idea?

Annabelle

Hi Sharon,

This is pretty cool! If your pendant is old, the 7970 might be a patent number that corresponds to the year 1875. As for the C in a circle, that’s a copyright symbol.

Annabelle

Sharon

I have been left a ring that has 10 small dimmonds inside it says 18ct fine plat with the numbers 7449 is this real?

Jackie

I have an ear ring that has two marks on it one us in a circle and looks like a s and a backward j almost a u. The other is a TH all by itself. I hope its good but I’m not sure.

Annabelle

Hi Jackie,

Going off your description, it could possibly be from Thailand (due to the TH) or manufactured by the International Silver Company if your item is silver. The backwards j might be a rubbed out C.

Annabelle

Jon

If it’s AU it could mean gold as that’s its symbol on the periodic table.

Brian Sisk

I got a ring stamp .77 and 10k its 3 round diamonds what is it worth

Ravit

What does ys Italy stamp on my ring means?

Annabelle

Hi Ravit,

The YS may be a designer mark or a term describing the metal, I’d have to know more about your ring to tell you. Italy is most likely the place of origin.

Annabelle

Patricia

I have a bangle in a very dark gunmetal colour. It’s Solid Silver. Inside it has. LetterT in a circle. Who’s make is it

Annabelle

Hi Patricia,

That manufacturer’s stamp has been used by both high-end jewelry manufacturers and artisans. If you can provide more detail about its approximate appearance and age it’ll be easier to narrow down who made it.

Suzi Hall

Hi Annabelle I have a gold or gold-plated bracelet with the stamp ” H & S ” on the inside edge of it. A manufacturer’s initials?? Any ideas??

Annabelle

Most likely a manufacturer’s stamp. It doesn’t indicate anything about the metal content.

hilda dove

Hi Annabelle i have a pair of earing with the stamp “G” inside. What does it mean? Thank you

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