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 does just an “S” on my ring mean?
Hi Jessica,
Could you provide more information about your item? The meaning of the stamp may depend on what metal it’s made out of.
Annabelle
What does IKON 24K STAMP MEAN ON GOLD TONGS ???????? Plz help
Hi Jade,
The 24k stamp indicates 24K gold, which is pure gold and extremely soft. If I’m understanding you correctly, it doesn’t seem to be practical to have a pair of tongs made out of soft gold. Your item is probably not solid 24K but plated with 24K gold.
Annabelle
I have a ring that is inscribed 14k-1-10 what does this mean
Hi Lori,
The 14k means that your item contains 14k gold, or 58.3% gold. The 1-10 may be an indicator that your item is not solid 14k gold, but 14k gold-filled. This means that your ring is probably made out of a cheaper base metal that is covered with a layer of 14k gold.
Annabelle
i have a riing with a small diamond stamped PM what does this means thanks
Hi Louie,
That could depend on what metal your ring is. If it’s silver, it may be from a manufacturer in Italy.
Annabelle
Hi ,
I have a ring that says di 14k on the inside. I know what the 14k means but what does di mean? Is that just someone’s initials ? I’ve tried looking online but with no success.
Hi Rochelle,
Interesting…It’s most likely the maker’s stamp, but for it to be 14k that’s fine-quality jewelry and the mark should be somewhat traceable. It could be a lesser known artisan or from another country. If the stamp looks “handwritten” or rough it might be a indication that this is a artisan piece.
Annabelle
I have chain with monet on the stamp what does that mean
Hi Christopher,
Monet is a jewelry manufacturing company that’s been around since 1927; they produce a lot of costume jewelry. Depending on how the stamp looks you may be able to date how old the piece is. If it has a copyright symbol next to it, the chain was probably made after 1955.
Annabelle
What does SUN mean on an bracelet
Hi Robert,
There are several jewelry manufacturers using that as a maker’s stamp. Is the piece costume or fine jewelry? That might help you narrow down where it was produced.
Annabelle
What does 10k N501 mean on a gold ring
Hi Kimberly,
10k means your item is 10 karat gold, or 41.6% gold.
Annabelle
I have a Tennis Bracelet marked “AB” and right below it is a number “1197” what does this mean?
Hi Rachel,
That would depend on the approximate age of your bracelet. Does it look old? 1197 is a maker’s stamp that has been used for both high-end and costume jewelry by different manufacturers.
Annabelle
Hi,
My engagement ring is circa 1910 and has 899 engraved on the inside, the antiwue shop owner didn’t know what metal it was. Can someone help?
Thanks
Hi Kylie,
Could you provide more information about your ring? What color is the metal? If it’s silver-colored the 899 may be a reference to the silver content within the ring, which would be below sterling silver (925 or 92.5% silver.) From what I know, this could possibly indicate Italy as the country of origin.
Annabelle
10Kt YG1, what does this mean please.
Hi!
10KT YG is a stamp that means 10 karat yellow gold. In other words, your item is 41.6% yellow gold.
Annabelle
What does ent stamp mean on a pearl nacklace
Hi Mitchell,
That sounds like the designer trademark instead of a metal stamp. Are you sure it’s just ENT? There’s a jewelry manufacturer called MJ ENT; they produced a lot of vintage costume jewelry. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Annabelle
I have a ring with NRT and the number 7 stamped on a silver looking ring with a diamond looking gem. What does that mean? (I’m kind of assuming the ring isn’t real but I’d like to know what the markings mean.)
Hi Kira,
NRT is a stamp associated with Avon. Based on your description, the ring is most likely costume jewelry, which Avon is famous for producing. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Annabelle
The ring I have seems to be dark green torquise, silver with a bird symbol and two diamonds and a 3 stamped on the band. I’m from the NW. Native American or maybe Alaska Ring? How do I research?
Hi Cheryl,
That does sound like Native American/Southwestern inspired jewelry. There’s also a possibility that it might be Mexican since you said it’s silver; if the bird shape is rather eagle-like this item could be from the 1940s-1970s. If you want to find out more, there are groups you can join on Facebook that specialize in trading and identifying Native American/Mexican silver jewelry.
Annabelle
I have come across a 10k gold ring and the stamp sez incase then a U with an arrow through it, 10k SE
Hi Bob,
Sounds like it’s an Uncas ring. They used that particular trademark from 1920 to the 1980s, and they’re still in business today. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Annabelle
I have a chain that is written like MJ5 or MJs it’s not visible, and also has a stamp written 226. It’s very confusing which metal it is, can’t find even in the internet too.
Hi Tokato,
The MJ5 is probably a designer trademark. As for 226, that is a platinum stamp that is no longer in use. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Annabelle
My ring is stamped with 925 and also 6TB what does that mean exactly
Hi Jerry,
925 means sterling silver. As for the 6TB, it’s the designer/manufacturer’s stamp. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Annabelle
WHAT IS AH18K/
Manufacturer’s stamp, 75% gold content.
Hi I have a large broach with 042 stamped on the back what does this mean?
Hi Fiona,
042 doesn’t seem to correspond with any known metal stamps, so it’s probably a designer mark. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Annabelle
Mine has 10k then thl. I know 10k is 10 carrot gold but what is thl?
Hi Bonnie,
THL is the stamp of the manufacturer, most likely Samuel Aaron. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Annabelle
Ive got a bracelet with E5 on one end and s/c on the other , anyone help with that?
Hi Shannon,
The s/c might be Sarah Coventry, especially if there’s a copyright symbol as well.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Annabelle
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