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.
hi I have a 14k ring with c.w and it says on the side 3 x .50 what does this mean please
Hi Melinda,
14k indicates 58.3% gold content. As for the other stamps, they are either manufacturer/designer stamps or stone stamps, if the design contains stones.
I have an opal ring from my great grandma. It has “9 ci” and “solar” marked on the inside. What does this mean?
Most likely the manufacturer/designer marks.
Hi I have a 2 tone ring that has the jewelers mark which appears to say CN over an egg or an 0. However it also has a 54 that seems laser etched into the metal ( they both look like laser etching) is that 54 just a random number?
It’s probably a manufacturer’s stamp or designer logo.
I have a ring that says D4.01ct d0.167ct S925 G14k what does this mean
Hi there,
The d4.01ct d0.167ct are stone stamps; they indicate the carat size and carat total weight of the stones in your piece. The s925 indicates sterling silver, while G14k is the stamp for 58.3% gold content.
In combination, this piece is most likely a gold-plated sterling silver ring.
My friend has a gold ring and it has H with a circle around it next 10k what’s the h with a circle mean?
It’s probably the manufacturer/designer mark since the 10k indicates 41.6% gold content.
My aunt received a charm for each 5 years of service from the Ohio Bell Telephone Co. some have small diamonds on them as she advanced in years. The back of the gold ones say 10k but also top. Any idea what that means? Someone suggested that it was all gold except the clasp but there is no clasp. And another thought it was gold only on the top. It looks uniform though. Thanks.
Hi JoAnne,
10k indicates 41.6% gold content. The TOP is probably a manufacturer/designer stamp; it wouldn’t indicate a specific location that is gold only.
Does anyone know what a v shape with a squiggle in the bottom means it’s on a 18k white gold and gold ring
Hi Liz,
That is the manufacturer/designer’s mark.
Hello, Annabelle
I have a yellow gold ring that is stamped 14KT NEI .30 TWB. That is the information on it with 3
very nice sized diamonds on the top.
Hi there, that seems to be a common stamping format for vintage pieces, often dating to 1980s. The 14k indicates 58.3% gold content, while the NEI is the manufacturer’s stamp, and the .30 TWB most likely indicates that you have a total of .30 carats of diamonds in this design.
Hello there, can you please tell me what does PM 900 mean? I have this diamond ring with that markings. It looks platinum, but it should be PT, in stead of PM right?
Thanks
It could be the manufacturer’s stamp before the 900 for platinum content. I would have the ring tested at a jeweler’s to confirm the metal.
Annabelle, what does B10K on a ring mean. I get the 10k, have never seen a B ahead of it. The ring belonged to an elderly lady.
Hi there, it could be the manufacturer/designer stamp before the metal stamp. It’s a stamp that’s common in vintage pieces, but I’m not sure as to which company does this.
Hi Annabelle! I would love if you could give your opinion on this. I have a ring that was my Nana’s before she passed away. It looks like real gold to me. It has what looks like diamonds in a star pattern and a green emerald in the middle, although it could be cubic zirconia of course, I wouldn’t know. The only marking is a number 3 inside. Thanks!
Hi Mila,
It would be easier to date this piece if you know more about when your grandmother got it; anything such as when she could’ve purchased it would help with identification. Where your grandmother is from or where she bought it will also help to identify the ring.
The stamp 3 could indicate a variety of things; it could be the manufacturer or designer stamp, or it could be a worn down metal stamp such as 375.
What is the meaning of marked in my bangles 10K PL? Thanks
10K indicates 41.6% content. The PL either means it’s plated, or it could just be the manufacturer/designer stamp.
Re aove , just that just mean that it was made “from” silver ?
Apologies….on looking through my loupe it says FROM 925 S .
I have a silver ring with an amber stone, inside it sats FRONT 925 ?
Hi there,
Front is the manufacturer/company name, 925 indicates that it’s sterling silver.
I have a ring from Tacori, it has the “PLAT” but does not have any numbers after it. Does this mean it is solid platinum with no other metals mixed in?
Hi Rob,
Pure platinum is unlikely. The stamp for PLAT alone may indicate a platinum/cobalt alloy.
Hello, I have a gold colored ring, it has a ruby looking gem. In the inside is a box with the letter A, a 5 point star, I’m not sure if the next one is a capital I or the number 1, and the last one is either O G C or a 0. Any information would be of help. Thank you
Hi Crystal,
It could be from Italy. The five point star is one of their hallmarks for precious metal.
What does 3cm stamp mean on a Sterling silver diamond earing?
Hi Jeremy,
Sounds like it’s either a manufacturer’s stamp, or a stone stamp indicating the stone size.
I have a ring stamped what looks like c0039? Any ideas?
Hi Jo,
Sounds like it’s either a manufacturer’s stamp, or a stone stamp indicating the stone carat weight of the ring.
my ring has the mark 14K 1sp what is the meaning?
Hi Olga,
14k indicates 58.3% gold content
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