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’m trying to find out if this chain is good it’s stamped with BN in a triangle
Hi there, the BN is most likely a makers mark!
I’m trying to find out if this chain is good it’s stamped with 8N
What does 18kt OP on necklacemean?
Hi There, that means your necklace is made from 18 karat gold and the OP is a makers mark!
Hello, i have a gold necklace that say K18 with symbol of chinese or japanese. What does it mean? Thanks in advance for your answer
Hi there, it means your piece is made from 18k gold and the symbol is most likely a makers mark!
I Have a ring marked 10k 16L RG. Does the RG stand for rolled gold or is it the makers signature? I would have thought that if it were rolled gold it would follow after the 10k.
Hello I have a couple rings that I am Curious about the stamps hopefully you can help thank you…..
Additional information to last post
Additional information is there any way to add multiple pic
I have an earring with 3 sets of two numbers on the back. Looks like 10 10 15 or something on the left and another symbol on the right I can’t make out. What’s that mean?
Hi there, could you please provide a picture of of the markings? They are most likely maker’s marks!
Have a few pieces I just inheritors but don’t know what the stamps mean. Do you happen to have any knowledge on these pieces. The Bangle bracelet has a stamp of LT a symbol and C. The cameos are marked 14k and have a number 01704 and initials L e and a cursive L e below as well. The bird on perch doesn’t appear to be stamped anywhere but does look like gold. I’m wondering if they need to be insured. Thank you in advance.
Have a few pieces I just inheritors but don’t know what the stamps mean. Do you happen to have any knowledge on these pieces. The Bangle bracelet has a stamp of LT a symbol and C. The cameos are marked 14k and have a number 01704 and initials L e and a cursive L e below as well. The bird on perch doesn’t appear to be stamped anywhere but does look like gold. I’m wondering if they need to be insured. Thank you in advance.
More photographs
Additional photograph of bracelet stamped
I have a bracelet that says 14KGD and a copyright symbol (a c inside a circle). Would you know what this means? Thank you.
Hi there, 14k is the type of gold your bracelet is made from and the other stamp is a makers mark!
I have a locket with 10K SUN on the back. What does this mean?
Hi there, 10k is the type of gold your piece is made from and SUN is most likely a makers mark!
I have a ring the only mark I can see is 608 AL
What does it mean
I have a ring the has HDS and either 153 or 53 stamped on the inside. Does anyone know what that means. Thanks
Hello. Do you know what BGC stamp is on a ring. Thank you
I have marine corp ring stamped G in a circle then i believe 4 in a diamond shape with letters YLTM. Im trying to determine if its a gold ring
So I recently came across a gold ring with two gems and three diamonds but the imprint it had in the inner ring it looks like a M but my wife says it’s a H but it doesnt have any number it just have a single letter which me and my wife have different opinion but can anyone help with a answer towers let’s just say if a ring has just the letter M what would that stand for or if a ring had just the letter H what would that stand for please and thankyou
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