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 Annabelle! I would love if you could give your opinion on this. I have a ring that was my Nana’s before she passed away. It looks like real gold to me. It has what looks like diamonds in a star pattern and a green emerald in the middle, although it could be cubic zirconia of course, I wouldn’t know. The only marking is a number 3 inside. Thanks!
Hi Mila,
It would be easier to date this piece if you know more about when your grandmother got it; anything such as when she could’ve purchased it would help with identification. Where your grandmother is from or where she bought it will also help to identify the ring.
The stamp 3 could indicate a variety of things; it could be the manufacturer or designer stamp, or it could be a worn down metal stamp such as 375.
Annabelle, what does B10K on a ring mean. I get the 10k, have never seen a B ahead of it. The ring belonged to an elderly lady.
Hi there, it could be the manufacturer/designer stamp before the metal stamp. It’s a stamp that’s common in vintage pieces, but I’m not sure as to which company does this.
Hello there, can you please tell me what does PM 900 mean? I have this diamond ring with that markings. It looks platinum, but it should be PT, in stead of PM right?
Thanks
It could be the manufacturer’s stamp before the 900 for platinum content. I would have the ring tested at a jeweler’s to confirm the metal.
Hello, Annabelle
I have a yellow gold ring that is stamped 14KT NEI .30 TWB. That is the information on it with 3
very nice sized diamonds on the top.
Hi there, that seems to be a common stamping format for vintage pieces, often dating to 1980s. The 14k indicates 58.3% gold content, while the NEI is the manufacturer’s stamp, and the .30 TWB most likely indicates that you have a total of .30 carats of diamonds in this design.
Does anyone know what a v shape with a squiggle in the bottom means it’s on a 18k white gold and gold ring
Hi Liz,
That is the manufacturer/designer’s mark.
My aunt received a charm for each 5 years of service from the Ohio Bell Telephone Co. some have small diamonds on them as she advanced in years. The back of the gold ones say 10k but also top. Any idea what that means? Someone suggested that it was all gold except the clasp but there is no clasp. And another thought it was gold only on the top. It looks uniform though. Thanks.
Hi JoAnne,
10k indicates 41.6% gold content. The TOP is probably a manufacturer/designer stamp; it wouldn’t indicate a specific location that is gold only.
My friend has a gold ring and it has H with a circle around it next 10k what’s the h with a circle mean?
It’s probably the manufacturer/designer mark since the 10k indicates 41.6% gold content.
I have a ring that says D4.01ct d0.167ct S925 G14k what does this mean
Hi there,
The d4.01ct d0.167ct are stone stamps; they indicate the carat size and carat total weight of the stones in your piece. The s925 indicates sterling silver, while G14k is the stamp for 58.3% gold content.
In combination, this piece is most likely a gold-plated sterling silver ring.
Hi I have a 2 tone ring that has the jewelers mark which appears to say CN over an egg or an 0. However it also has a 54 that seems laser etched into the metal ( they both look like laser etching) is that 54 just a random number?
It’s probably a manufacturer’s stamp or designer logo.
I have an opal ring from my great grandma. It has “9 ci” and “solar” marked on the inside. What does this mean?
Most likely the manufacturer/designer marks.
hi I have a 14k ring with c.w and it says on the side 3 x .50 what does this mean please
Hi Melinda,
14k indicates 58.3% gold content. As for the other stamps, they are either manufacturer/designer stamps or stone stamps, if the design contains stones.
I have 14k gold earrings with what looks like real diamonds left to me by my mother in law, inscription reads 1011 14k. Can you tell me what the numbers mean?
Hi Mandy,
The 14k indicates 58.3% gold content. The 1011 is either a manufacturer or designer stamp.
Hello, i have my wedding ring d with it lookss like 1k 10k what does this mean?
10K indicates 41.6% gold content
My ring has 5 sc is it real gold??
Hi Terry,
That mark does not indicate gold content, so we cannot determine if your ring is gold. You may want to ask a jeweler to test it for you.
Hi Annabelle,
I want to buy a ring from someone but it has
a crooked 14K stamp – those it mean it’s fake?
Hi Carmen,
Not necessarily; the stamp is often done by hand, so the jeweler who stamped it probably didn’t align his stamp to the back of the ring. The best way to make sure it’s genuine is to have it tested.
I have a ring that looks gold with what might be rubies that has FTH 20K stamped inside the band. What does FTH mean?
Manufacturer/designer stamp.
I just bought a gold rose and a yellow gold rings, the stamp is something like this: “ 750 o 1A “ and a brand name with script font Louis I believe. When the seller tested the stones in top it marked diamond, when He let me do it I push harder and jumped to tanzanite, I did it again and it marked diamond…
Hi Iris,
Sorry, I’m not sure how to help you with this. Presidium testers can give varying results depending on how they’re used and they require an experienced hand in order to read accurately. Chances are, your stone is diamond, but your best bet is to take it to a legitimate jeweler or gemologist and have it appraised. Your ring stamps do not indicate anything about the stone; 750 is a stamp for 18k gold.
I have a ring that has 14K inside it, which I know what that means. It also has 210 stamped inside it and I am not sure what that means. It could also be 2/0. The spacing is not uniformed. Can you tell me what that number means? It has two rows of diamonds, 7 diamonds in each row.
Manufacturer/designer stamp.
I have a gold chain with a s stamped on it and nothing else is this chain fake
It’s hard to tell. Your best bet is to take it to a jeweler and get it tested.
I am looking at buying a tennis bracelet from a individual she has told me her late husband bought it in the 90s for her as a gift the only makings that can be found on it are on one clasp they looks like VfY 110 I’m guessing the VfY is the maker but I can’t find anything on 110
Probably also a manufacturer/designer mark.
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