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.
What foes 19p mean stamped insode my ting band
Sorry about all the spelling so what does 19p mean stamped inside my ring bsnd
Hi there, I believe it means “P” for Plumb Gold (this shows the item is at least the amount of karats shown on the stamp)
Any idea what PL-18k means ?
Plated or platinum?
Hi there, that means its 18k platinum!
I got a ring with three stamps on it, I can’t make out the top stamp but it kinda looks like 17, under that is a 87, and underneath that is a c in a circle. Please help.
I have an antique silver poison ring I got as a gift years ago, the back of it is clearly stamped “REG 571”. Can you possibly tell me what that means?
Hi there, I believe it’s just a makers stamp on your ring!
Wat does 925 and italy and PGDA on a neckless
Hi there, that means its sterling silver made in Italy and the PGDA is a makers mark!
C253Y mean anything stamped in a ring my mom gave me?
I have an old heart broach with 900 stamped on the back. Has another stamp and hard to tell what symbol it is, looks like a circle with a star. Has stones Surrounding the heart. Had it for years. What metal is it likely to be please?
Hi Louisa, usually 900 means it is real silver!
I have a gold class ring from 1933. It has a stamp that says “D 10k”. I get the 10K but is the D just a manufacturer stamp? Thank You
Hi Paul, yes the “D” is most likely a makers mark!
Hi there!
Recently bought a pair of 14K Yellow Gold & Diamond cluster Stud Earrings, on the stud and also in the back clasp reads CU14K can you tell what this means?
Hi there, CU is a makers mark and the 14k indicates what type of gold 🙂
I have 2 rings that I have questions on. One is silver looking with a gem/diamond center with the marking NVC.
The other is a silver Claddaugh ring with a 8 on the inside.
Thank you in advance.
Hi there, those are just makers marks!
What would 14k a backwards c with a circle and a $ mean?
Hi there, the lettering is just a makers mark!
Hi, I have a beautiful 14k gold ring with a single sapphire and several small diamonds. The makers mark is T with a C running through the T. Do you have any ideas?
Hi there, I’m not sure of that mark. Where did you buy the ring from?
What does .925 AU © MEAN on a ring
Hi there, that means it is a sterling silver base metal
What does .925 NK on a pendant mean?
Hi there, that means it’ made of sterling silver!
what does the GT3 in 18K ring mean?
Hi there, the GT3 is a makers mark!
Hi I have old necklace I think I’d fake it says h917 on one end and on other end it says dares
I have a gold ring with the stamp ol 14k what does that mean
Hi there, the ol is a makers mark and 14k means which type of gold your ring is made from
4/20 is marked on the clasp of my pearl bracelet, what does it mean>
Hi there, that means your bracelet is gold filled!
I have a ring that says PLAT 389 and 92 on the other side. Can’t find anything on this. Could you clarify at all?
Hi there, that just means your ring is made from platinum and 389 is it’s purity
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