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.
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
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
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
What does 10k N501 mean on a gold ring
Hi Kimberly,
10k means your item is 10 karat gold, or 41.6% gold.
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
Looking at a necklace that is claiming to be gold filled and has a stamp ’24KG’ with no extra letters like listed above. Thoughts?
Hi Danny,
That could be a legitimate claim; 24k gold is pure gold and it’s rare to find items made from solid 24k gold because it’s too soft for practical, everyday use. If it’s used for gold fill, however, that makes more sense because it’s essentially a layer of gold on top of a sturdier base metal, like sterling silver or an alloy.
Annabelle
What does A 925 on a ring mean? Its a really old ring
Hi Sara,
925 is the stamp for sterling silver, which means that your ring is 92.5% silver.
Annabelle
What does VE stamped inside a gold band with a rain drop diamond mean? Is the ring not made of gold?
Hi Missy,
Could you give me more information about your ring? VE sounds like it’s the maker’s stamp instead of a metal indicator. Are there any other stamps inside the ring?
Annabelle
What does the stamp SG stand for
Hi Aaron,
That is a maker’s mark that is used by several designers who have the initials SG. If you can provide more information about your item we might be able to narrow it down and make an educated guess.
Annabelle
I have a pearl necklace marked with only 147204. What does that means?
I have a piece marked SRB 14k SR 4K 14k L ( I believe its an L, forgive my ignorance) what does this all mean pieced together? Haha.
Hi Evie,
Wow, this is quite a bizarre one; it’s very rare to see so many stamps, especially redundant ones. The 14k means it’s 58.3% gold (white, rose or yellow depending on the color of your item), but it’s odd to see it repeated twice. The 4K is unheard of- my guess is that it’s supposed to be another 14k stamp that was misstruck and left out the one in front. As for the other marks, they could be the maker’s mark. I think the second SR could be yet another SRB that was also misstamped like the 14k after it. The L could be an indication that this item was made in Italy, but this also means that the item might be a counterfeit. I would get this metal tested to see if it is in fact 14k gold.
Annabelle
i have a ring that has 3/5 and the letters M.K next to it thanks for the help
Hi there,
M.K. is a common manufacturer’s stamp used by several companies. Could you provide more details on your ring, like the type of metal and the design?
I Found a earring marquee cut and on the post it has I think stc and I think a 1 circled on the post
Hi Rose,
STC is a pretty common manufacturer’s stamp, but if your item is sterling silver it may be from the Skyway Trading Company.
What does scsc14k mean
Hi Tiffany,
14k is a reference to your item being made out of/or containing 14k gold, or 58.5% gold. The SC is a manufacturer’s stamp or a brand stamp; are you sure it’s two SCs instead of one? SC is the stamp used by Sarah Coventry around 1950; the brand was well-known for producing both fine and costume jewelry.
I just bought a pair of hoop earrings that are marked 9kl. What does that mean ?
Hi Denise,
If they’re gold, that is a mark for 9 karat gold or 37.5% gold content. In the US this cannot be legally sold as “gold” since US standards set the minimum as 10 karat to be a substantial gold alloy.
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