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 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?
Community Discussion
Questions, experiences, and expert answers from the QJR community.
Hi. I have a ring (bought from an antique jeweller) that is stamped 14K (I know this refers to the gold), but it also has a diamond stamp and also A59… What do these mean?
Hi Elle,
Those are the manufacturer/designer stamps.
I have a gold ring with a light blue heart-shaped stone. The ring is stamped 10k and Exquisite. I’m specifically interested in the “Exquisite” stamp. Thanks.
Hi Lisa,
That stamp is used to indicate the Exquisite jewelry line made by Walter Archibald Parker Watson. The UK-based company WAP Watson has been around since the 1900s and their vintage items have become collectibles.
I have a ring that says 925 so is silver, but in the other side is marked “7 1” and it has a diamond or cz in the middle that rocks or moves. Do you know what that could stand for?
Hi Amanda,
The 7 1 is most likely the manufacturer/designer stamp, as the 925 indicates the metal type (sterling silver.)
I bought a 14k gold ring and it has a stamp with a circle and k1 in the circle. Nothing else is engraved in it. Is there any chance that the ring isn’t 14k? Please tell me. I got the certification that it is 14k but I thought that if it isn’t engraved maybe it is not real. (I got it from an exchange/second hand/ pawn..I don’t know which is the correct word for it in english)
Hard to say, I would get it tested at a jeweler’s to see if it is 14k gold. They can check with an acid test.
What does g diamond symbol m 14k stand for stamped inside a ring
I have a ring marked G with circle around it then 10k. What does the circle G mean? Thanks
It’s the manufacturer/designer’s stamp.
Hi, I have an antique silver bracelet with MR inside a heart on it, please tell me what it means? Thank you 🙂
It’s the manufacturer/designer’s stamp.
I have a ring that is stamped 18KTRGP. Does this mean it’s Gold Plated and pretty much has no value?
Hard to tell with no physical evaluation of the item, but normally GP does stand for gold plated, yes.
Hi.
I have a diamond pendant that’s marked 14k PTC. I’m not finding info on this. Do you know shaft the PTC means? Thank you.
It’s the manufacturer/designer’s stamp.
Hi, I have a necklace charm that is stamped 14k TCP. Does anyone know what it means?
14k is the gold content, which is 58.3%. The TCP is the manufacturer/designer stamp.
I have a pair of vintage clip on earrings that are gold(tone?) with emerald, blue saphire, and ruby looking square stones, and round rhinestones. It is stamped”20 59″ on the back. There’s an opening behind some of the stones…. I can’t find out anything about them…help please ?
Manufacturer/designer’s stamp; they don’t indicate anything about the metal content.
I have a 9.25wedding band with a crown next to it what does the crown represent
It’s the manufacturer/designer mark.
Hello! My gold earrings have stamp on them. I get the 585 part but what does mean, please?
Thank you.
P.S. Do both earrings in a set have to have a gold stamp?
585 is 14k gold.
Hello, what does it mean 14kng in a wedding band ring?
14K indicates 58.3% gold content.
What about markings that read 14K RL?
14k is the marking for 58.3% gold content. RL is the designer/manufacturer’s stamp.
HI there! I have a band that has what seems like an 8 or a B with lines all around the sides and the top (similar to sun rays), then 18K. Any idea what this manufacturer’s stamp is? I can also send a picture if possible! Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Amber,
Unfortunately we can’t identify that particular stamp. You may have better luck if you upload a picture of the stamp to google images and do an image search- perhaps a hallmark database will match up with a similar mark.
What would a stamping on the interior of a platinum engagement ring mean that says PLAT R?
PLAT stands for platinum, the R is possibly the manufacturer/designer stamp
I Have A Chain That Is marked With 925 Italy and DNT What Does DNT Mean And Is It Valuable? The Chain Is Heavy
Hi Mari,
DNT is the manufacturer’s stamp. The 925 indicates that your item is sterling silver, which is not very valuable.
Hello,
I have a ring with the mark 18K and T50.
I understand the 18K but what is T50 ? I Goggled for a while now and found no info. Jewelry’s I found with this T50 name/stamp, but no info what it means.
Could you please enlighten me ? Thank you in advanced
It’s the manufacturer/designer stamp.
i just purchased a walking cane with a supposed 14k knob. the markings on it, as far as i can tell are 2 s 50A. could you tell me what that means and if i was ripped off on the 14k gold part! Thank you so very much!
Jason
Hi Jason,
Neither of those marks indicate gold content. Your best bet is to have it tested by a jeweler with an acid test. Keep in mind that it would be quite heavy if the knob is solid 14k gold- if it’s light, chances are it’s plated.
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