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 just purchased a pair of hoop earrings. They were labeled online as “Solid 14k Rose Gold”. The stamp says “14K S”. What does the “S” stand for?
Hi Jessica,
Probably the designer or manufacturer’s trademark, since the 14k is the metal stamp.
I picked up a bangle and on the inside it has three different marks – the first is PB the second is 22A and the third is RT.
What would each marking stand for? Thanks for your assistance to understand jeweler’s marks
Hi Mel,
You definitely have a strange piece there; none of those marks are metal stamps, and all of them correspond to different manufacturer’s marks. For instances, PB has been used by designers such as Paul Brackna, and RT is a common trademark of several manufacturers as well. I think you’ll need to look at the metal type and the style of the bangle to narrow down your options.
Hi Annabelle:
I have a bracelet with yellow metal looking like gold with a mark 713S and the marquis stones looking like diamonds. It is very well-made. Hope it is real but not sure? Curious in finding out what the mark “713S” or “735” (cannot make out – hard to read) means? Thank you for helping shed a light into this piece.
Hi there,
Neither of those marks seem to correspond to any known metal stamps, so they’re probably manufacturer’s stamps. You can try getting the bracelet metal tested to see if it’s a legitimate piece of fine jewelry; we also offer appraisal services for the gemstones.
What does 12.5 mean on gold.
Hi Kelvin,
It doesn’t seem like it indicates gold content; otherwise it would’ve said 12k instead of 12.5. Probably a manufacturer’s stamp.
I have a cross with 1-20D-10K. What is the 1-20D?
Possibly the manufacturer’s mark, since the 10K indicates the gold content. If it had said “1/20” I might’ve guessed your item was gold-filled instead of solid gold (so 1/20 gold content), but the D changes the mark completely.
I have a ring that says QTR10K. What does this mean?
Hi Michelle,
10K indicates 41.6% gold content, and the QTR is probably the manufacturer’s stamp.
Thank you!
Have a ring looks like small diamonds in it. It is stamped
14K-18K C
Can you tell me what that means thanks tamra
Hi Tamra,
That’s highly unusual to have a range for gold; the 14K and 18K mean 58.3% and 75% gold. My guess is that the ring either contains two types of gold in different locations (especially if it’s two-tone colored) or it may not be legitimate jewelry.
I have a 10k ring with a C13 or C15 stamped in the inside?
Hi Kevin,
It’s probably the designer/manufacturer’s stamp, since you already know that the ring is 10k gold.
Hey what does c830 means on the inside of the ring.
Hi Mary,
830 has been used to indicate either 20k gold or silver (of either Norwegian or Scandinavian origin).
Hi. My diamond band is stamped SDL 14k on the inside. I understand the 14k is the metal content but I’m not sure if the SDL is a manufacturer stamp? Do you know what this means?
Hi Erin,
SDL is a manufacturer’s stamp for SDL Jewelry; they specialize in sterling silver and 14k gold, and they’ve been in operation since the early 1910s.
Hi Erin,
SDL is a manufacturer’s stamp for SDL Jewelry; they specialize in sterling silver and 14k gold, and they’ve been in operation since the early 1900s.
Help idk what the meaning of these stamps are nor can i completely read one set of the numbers / Nd or letters partly at fault being stamped right directly on top of the 14 kt stamp and on top is what appears to be a very small and delicate possibly even hand drawn heart that is so very tiny and thin may even say Mary but then engraved as one piece it says 27 the numbers and on the other side of the band is some type of a very badly worn symbol may be a circle but i believe it’s a unrecognizable worn heart and there in the middle is a tiny little dot of red paint and no I assure u it didn’t accidentally get on there and hasn’t worn off yet it’s not coming off,lol help me plz ro identify its origin
Hi Tara,
I’m afraid it’s rather difficult to determine the meaning of the stamps on your ring without a picture. Keep in mind that jewelry is often passed down from person to person, so it wouldn’t surprise me if your item was modified by previous owners, especially since you mention hand-drawn symbols and names. It’s common to find engravings on older pieces of jewelry, and it’s near-impossible to find out any information about who engraved it or why because there won’t be any historical records to reference.
The ND on top of the 14kt stamp may be a manufacturer’s stamp, however.
I have a diamond mens ring that looks to be white gold. Has 14k ML and maybe an 8,E or B. The last digit seems to be stamped deeper(?) than the others but that could be only perception. Is this 14k gold or costume jewelry?
Hi Junior,
It sounds like your item contains 14k gold; however, this could also mean that it’s simply plated with 14k gold instead of being solid. You can send it in to us for a metal test if you want to determine whether or not it’s fine jewelry.
The ML and the additional letter is probably the manufacturer’s stamp and either a designer’s stamp or a size indicator (if it’s 8)
I bought a what appears to be a silver ring but I don’t know what the stamp means. It looks like a star inside a circle and has TC next to it.
Hi April,
The star inside the circle could indicate that this piece is from Laila Rowe, a company known for costume jewelry. They’ve been closing up shop in the last few years and I’m not entirely sure if they’re still in business. The TC could be the manufacturer who made the items for Laila Rowe’s designs.
Hi, my Goddaughter has taken her Mums wedding ring into a local Jewellers to be sized, as her Mum has recently passed away very suddenly, and she would like to be able to wear it. After inspecting the ring,to see hallmark etc, the jeweller said that there was an inscription on the band, but in 12 years in the jewellery business, she had never seen anything like it. the inscription was not written but stamped onto the band. The inscription reads ‘LUCKY’ this upset my Goddaughter, as neither her or her Sister were aware or it. My Goddaughter has contacted me as we are all very close, to see if I could shed any light on it. I can’t, and I don’t even know if her Mum was aware it was there. As sometime ago she herself spoke to me about having the ring sized down as it was too big for her. If she had been aware of this inscription, she would have mentioned her concern to me or her Daughters re losing it if the ring was altered. Can you shed any light on this stamped inscription. The ring was purchased in England, in 1970, from what would have been a local jeweller.
We are all intrigued about this and would be grateful for your help TY Maura Cripps
08/01/19
Hi Maura,
Based on your description the ring is probably from H. Samuel, a jewelry company that was founded in Liverpool, 1862. The LUCKY stamp seems to be consistently used with the time period you mentioned (late 1960s to 1970) and may be the stamp of the manufacturer that made the jewelry for H.Samuel.
The jeweler should be able to resize the ring without removing the LUCKY stamp, unless if your goddaughter is significantly sizing down. If your local jeweler is having issues with it, you can send it over to us, as we can provide alternative sizing options that will preserve the interior marks.
I have a silver fob chain with free moving T-bar and the only stamp that I can find is in the Albert clasp, st6-923. What does the stamp numbers mean? Was purchased from a second hand store so not sure how old it is. However it is heavy.
BDS =
GRNS =
LAB = labradorite or a stone created/made in a lab?
Hi there Wanda,
From what I understand of your comment you’re trying to ask about the meaning of BDS, GRNS, and LAB as stamps? Could you provide more information on what your item is, it’s difficult to determine without more context.
Sorry. I was in a rush at the time. I work in a jewellery counter and we receive jewellery with abbreviations as descriptions for each individual piece. [ ex. RHDM = rhodium (plated), SW = swarovski zirconia, SQR = square, ITA = made in Italy, MNSTN = moonstone. ]
I am searching for what BDS, GRNS, LAB might mean.
What does the number 52 mean stamped on a ring
Hi Tylor,
52 doesn’t indicate anything about the metal, so it’s probably the manufacturer’s stamp.
It is a silver Fob. Not sure of the age as I picked it up at a secon hand store. However, it is heavy.
Very nice & helpful site. Thank you, I’ll be referring to it again, most likely. However, I couldn’t find the answer I was hoping to find. I have a ring that is stamped K80. Might you know what it means? Might it mean it’s 80% pure gold? I have acid testers for 10,12,14,18 & 22K gold, but if it’s 80% gold none of my acid test will likely work on it. Anyhow, any help/advice would be appreciated, greatly. Thank you & many blessings to you & yours in 2019.
Respectfully,
Mark
Hi Mark! We’re happy to hear that you like our content 🙂 K80 does not correspond to any standard metal stamps; it is probably a manufacturer’s mark.
Hi – I have a chain with a clasp marked GERMANY. No other markings. What does this mean?
Hi Laura,
Your item was made in Germany, from the looks of it. This tends to be a more vintage stamp but we would need more information about the type of chain and the metal in order to give you a better approximation.
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