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 bracelet both clasp have marking one side 18k the other side of that clasp italy 18k other clasp (GS) other side VN 198-?? can’t read last 2 numbers what’s all that mean
18k indicates 75% gold content.
Hi. I have a 14K, 7 inch long tennis bracelet. It has 52 Diamonds. There is a 27 on the clasp. Is that the weight of the diamonds?
Hard to tell without knowing more about the bracelet. Total carat weight also depends on the size of the diamonds, not just the number.
I have a yellow gold diamond solitaire engagement ring. It is marked 4BH J14K. What does this mean?
14k gold (58.3% gold content) and designer stamps
Hi! I have a 14k rose gold ring with a capital GC marking on it. Does that mean anything?? Just would like to know. Thanks!
Designer/manufacturer’s stamp
I have one ring 55 stamp what means
Designer/manufacturer’s stamp.
I have a ring whit a 925Pic stamp !!it’s Silver or not ? THANK YOU
925 indicates that it’s sterling silver.
I have a gold ring marked S O 10K. I was just wondering what the “S O” part meant ?
Designer’s stamp
Mine say 14k-16 what does that mean?
14k gold content, manufacturer/designer stamp.
My engagement ring has OK engraved on one side and on the other it has a picture of a diamond with a 9 beside it. Anyone know what either of these mean?
Both are most likely manufacturer/designer stamps.
I have a ring that is stamped amv but also has 14k on it what does it mean
Designer’s stamp, 14k gold
I have 3 rings one with the stamp saying D25 PAD, another saying 125 No, and the last saying LA 7
Designer/manufacturer stamps
I have a ring stamped 14k GDH. What does gdh stand for
Designer’s stamp
We’ve got a ring with what we think is 18KOI and no other clearly visible engravings. Do you know what it means?
18k gold content, designer’s stamp.
I have a diamond ear ring makes with 10 and 20 and 08 on the back of it and I have a yellow Stone ear ring that I can’t find anyone to tell me if the Stone is real or not
Hi there, you’ll have to take your items to a jeweler or a gemologist in order to determine the stone’s authenticity. As for the stamps, they do not indicate anything about the metal.
I have a ring its silver it says 750 on it what does that mean
what does LAG stand for after 14k mark?
Designer/manufacturer’s stamp
I have a gold necklace stamped with a star ,49GR and 800. So is it 80% gold
Hard to tell without testing it. It’s uncommon to have gold jewelry stamped 800; most gold alloys are either 41.6% gold, 58.3%, or 75% gold.
I have a silver ring with C1316 stamped on the inside , curious to know what it means , thank you
Designer/manufacturer’s stamp
I have a 14 kt yellow gold ring with a large ruby in it, and it has PSCD stamped after. Anyone know anything about that stamp? Thanks in advance.
Hi there, it’s the manufacturer/designer’s stamp.
It says pure on tag
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