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 purchased a gold diamond ring with 14K and a shooting star hallmark. I got it from a pawnshop and he said it was 1920s-30s setting and a 100 year old rose cut diamond. Any imput you have is appreciated. I will be getting it looked at by a jeweler as well.
Does three dots in a triangle pattern on a ring mean anything
Hi there, I have a pair of silver earrings that are marked 925 and 14k? Does this mean they are sterling silver or 14k white gold??
Hi there, that means they are silver plated in 14k gold!
Thank you. I did not know that 🙂
I bought a tennis s bracelet and the stamp on it says rsl 925 . What is the rsl stand for
Hi there, that’s a makers mark!
Upon looking more carefully I see the inscription reads RST in 925? What does that stand for?
What does g full mean on on a necklace
Can you tell me about this ring please?
Is gold and diamonds from china fake
Could you tell me what 14 9k .25 mean inside an eternity ring? please?
Hi there, the 9k represents the type of gold used and the .25 is most likely the sizes of the stones on your ring!
I have a silver ring with a 17 engrave on the inside. What does it mean?
What does magnolia 14k mean..it’s in my silver ring
Hi. I saw someone selling gold ring in the marketplace that has stamped 750 which is 18k gold but beside it it has number 57 as well. What would that mean?
And at the bottom of it there’s this code CRD 083750. Can you pls explain to me what all this numbers mean? thank you very much.
Hi! I have a ring that is white gold. It is 10k stamped in it, but it also has like a “D” inside of a square beside what appears to be “CN”. Do you know what these letters mean?
Hi guys!
I have inherited my grandmother’s ring, but it has been cut through the band while we was in hospital.
I’m trying to trace its age/details if you’re able to help me?
The inside is stamped with TIFFANY 9ct but from the research I have been doing, this isn’t how tiffany and co would have stamped it, and from what I have found they did not use anything less than 10k gold… So I’m a bit stumped! I’m hoping to have it repaired and use it as my engagement ring but also want to do right by its heritage and not ruin the marking by having it repaired by the wrong person.
Any help with aging or history of this ring would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Hi Elise, We’re not positive what the Tiffany’s stamp means, could be a makers mark other than Tiffany and Co. We can definitely help repair your ring for you though! Looks like you will be in need of a shank repair. You can use this link to order this service, but please let me know if there’s anything else you think your ring might be in need of!
https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/ring-shank-repair/
I have an antique ring with 928 ECI PTNET stamped inside it. I have been looking into all three of these but all I know for sure is the 928 is sterling silver. I THINK the PTNET maybe platinum. But have no idea what the ECI means.
I have a gold wedding ring from my great great grandmother that says S (or 5 I honestly can’t tell) 625 A all in block letters. I am trying so hard to find the origin but I have no idea where to start. I would be so so appreciative if you could help!
I found a bracelet with a stamp that looks like 77 in a oval. I can’t find anything like it
What kind of ring is this??
I have ring with A.N 750 marked from the said ring. What does it mean? thanks.
Hello, does anyone know what LXG stamped on my 14k gold necklace means?
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