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.
I have a ring that has the mark, STONE •14K
Not sure what the stone means.
14k indicates 58.3% gold content
I have one heart shaped. Diamonds 3 make the heart than 9 around the than layered in sliver two diamonds one on each side of the setting stamped 18k g FL SS 925 *
Hi Camey, this is most likely a sterling silver ring with some gold components/plating.
I have a yellow gold ring that only has the capital letter “K” inside (no number). There is also a designer’s stamp/signature. What does the K mean?
Probably another manufacturer/designer stamp or a remnant of the karat stamp.
I have a ring with the words Cel Brity stamped what does that mean and is the diamond in the setting real?
Most likely from Celebrity NY, a company that used to make costume jewelry. It’s not a real diamond.
I have a ring that has a c in circle and 14kt. w g f. And it also a J with backward arrow going threw the j
The 14k indicates 58.3% gold content.
I have 2 rings…1 is stamped 10kcg and the other stamped 14kcg…what does the cg mean?
Manufacturer/designer’s stamp
What does AIC mean on brooch? Also the letters ME?
Manufacturer/designer stamps.
Hello would anybody be able to help me . I keep coming across jewellery with a little hang tag with a fancy capital A on . Modern or vintage I can’t seem to find a anything that would tell me
Hi Joanne, it’s probably a manufacturer/designer stamp. Unfortunately that’s too broad of a description to really narrow down who it is.
Have Avon award pin marked 10K TOP. Any idea what TOP stands for?
It’s probably the stamp of the manufacturer.
Hi, I have received jewelry, which they said was 925 silver. But it has s925. What is this.
The 925 stamp can vary from item to item. s925 still indicates 92.5% silver content, or sterling silver.
Hello. I have a white metal brooch with clear stones that is inscribed 36 b50. No stamps. Any idea if this is worth getting appraised?
Hi there, those stamps doesn’t indicate anything about the metal content. You can still bring it to a jeweler to get an assessment.
I have a watch stamped 14KT LEE, what does this mean?
Hi Wanda,
Most likely 14k gold plated, as it’s rare for watches to be solid gold.
I have a set of ear rings stamped HAB 10kt what does this mean
HAB is a vintage manufacturer’s mark, while 10k indicates 41.6% gold content
I have a ring that was given to me with a cluster of stones in it. The marking on the inside say 18K HGE D I know the HGE means heavy hold plate but what does the D stand for?
Most likely the manufacturer’s stamp, as you are correct about the 18k and HGE
I have a Stamped 18k thbc@ white gold diamond ring What does it mean
18k is 75% gold content, the other symbols are probably the manufacturer/designer’s stamp
I have a gold charm that says on the back bottom. M14kt. What does the M mean? And is it solid 14kt?
Hi Mary, it might be the designer’s stamp. It’s hard to determine if it’s solid without seeing the item.
I got a bracelet that says Margot De Texico sterling silver anything you can tell me about it
You’ve got a cool collector’s piece there! Margot was a silversmith from the 1930s who worked primarily with silver and enamel in Taxco until she passed in 1974.
I have a 14k gold ring with diamonds that is engraved on the inside with 2 XX’s at the beginning and at the end with 4 numbers or letters inbetween. Very decorative engraving. Looks like the x’s are roman numerals with little swish design on bottom and top. Any ideas? Thx
It may be the manufacturer/designer’s mark, as that doesn’t indicate metal content.
I have a pendant that’s stamped 900. And then 1700’s is this platinum or silver? Cause I’m very confused about this. As there is some silver that is 900? No
Sounds like it’s platinum, as silver is usually stamped 925.
I have a ring stamped14k. And -h&i but befor the 14k there looks to be the letter D but I can’t find a reference to what it might mean.
Hi Christy, it’s the manufacturer/designer stamp.
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