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 mossinite ring with ths letters HAZ stamped , what dose it mean, some say its to prove its a Charles and Covard Mossinite
I found this gold looking like clip? Was thinking at first it was a like money clip or something but then looking at it more it has like a eagle sitting on a orb(guessing the planet)? But it’s odd because also looks like a snake around the planet(orb) too so I was thinking it was something a pilot at sometime wore till I noticed the snake looking thing? Anyways it looks to be stamped with k1g1? That or KIGI anyone have any ideas? Lol
I’ve got a 10 carat ring it looks old style but it has one HD 295 10 k I’m trying to figure out what the one HD 295 is I thought 256 was the amount of gold in it but 10 carats not 2 95
My chain says Italy 585 brev on it, it’s gold color like that of 18 carot, can you give me some info on it
My chain says brev 585 on it, what does this mean
Hi there, that means your chain is made of 14k gold!
Have gold jewelry with stamp of GYP
What about jewelry that is gold has stamp of GYP
How can you tell if a ring is real. I have 3 questions. All inputs are kindly accepted I have one with no marking that has never changed it shine. I also have on that says 14k then the word star in spelled out. I also have a necklace that is stamped with a .,3333. Have never had an issue with any of them. Just curious. Thanks
Hi there, I would suggest a metal test for complete accuracy. This is a service we provide. Here is a link with more info and how you can purchase a metal test! 🙂
https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/metal-testing/
I have a ring that’s silver and gold with a lion on it . It’s marked 925 with 750 after it. What could this mean ?
Hi there, that means your ring is partially made of silver and 18k gold!
Hi. I’m Cheryl. I have a pair of 14KT gold earrings with Italy stamped on them and a backwards B inside a circle. Does anyone know what the backwards B means? Thank you.
What would 64 mean marked on a ring that resembles silver?
What does B^C mean? I have a silver necklace stamped with “B^C 925”
Looked quite a bit on the web but was not able to find an answer. I have a Tiffany & Co. Keyring that is stamped “Tiffany & Co. M” I also have two of the same keyrings that show the typical “Tiffany & Co. 925” any ideas on the significance of the M? Both appear to be standard sterling.. Thanks for any information you can provide
I have a 10k ring with initials SA on the band. Does anyone know what they mean?
What does TL MEAN
I have a ring with FZN925CN on the inside of the band. Can you decipher?
Hello
I have a necklace that is stamped SPBC LIND. I know that the LIND is the maker but what does the SPBC stand for?
I have a chain with the 14 k stamp on it. But there no yellow or yellowish color to it. It looks like silver, but with the 14k stamp?
Hi there, your piece could be made of 14k white gold instead of yellow!
I have a locket marked with 48 what does that mean? Appears to be silver.
I have a gold ring that is stamped BETA inside and no other marking. Any idea what it is?
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