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.
Diamond ring, 14k gold with an E in a circle . What is the E in a circle for? Is this a jeweller or a personalized thing?
Diamond Gold ring marked corona 10-10k. Also another diamonds ring that’s goes with it marked 10-14k. Would the diamonds be real? What does the first 10 stand for?
Hi Jamie! 14K is a gold-purity mark, but the extra 10 and the full 10-10K or 10-14K combinations need more context. They do not establish whether the stones are diamonds. Please have the stones and metal examined before relying on a value or authenticity claim. Our appraisal service is here: https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/jewelry-appraisal/.
Hi I have a gold ring and the stamp looks like it says 25 PTG does anyone know what this means
Hi, I have a silver tennis bracelet with .925 and 3 cc stamped on it. I know the .925 means Sterling silver, but what does the 3 cc mean? My daughter bought it for me from a reputable jeweler, and was told it was real diamonds. Was she ripped off?
Hi Christine! 925 refers to the stated silver content, not the type of stones. The 3 cc mark alone cannot establish diamond weight, authenticity, or whether your daughter was misled. Ask for the original sales description and have the stones examined. You can review our appraisal service here: https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/jewelry-appraisal/.
I have a bracelet with a stamp of DE 10 k ??
is 4K a thing now? the ring i bought is supposed to be 14K but it is stamped 4K
Hi Kristen! A visible 4K stamp is not enough to establish that a ring sold as 14K is genuine 14K gold. It could be a worn or incomplete mark, or something else entirely. Keep the sales description and ask for independent metal testing rather than assuming the missing 1 wore away. You can see the relevant service here: https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/metal-testing/.
Could you tell me what this means next to the 375 stamp please.
I have a dark blue stone or gem set in deco style silver fram and ring. The only marks on it are behind stone, where I can only make out “ADE MOGE”. I think a letter in each word is hidden behind metal framework. So maybe first word is MADE but what is MOGE, thanks in advance I’m
Just so curious.
I have a longinese manual wind up 14k gold watch with the symbol like a chest with rose inside and want to know about the symbol
Wat does 31c stand for in my gold ring
I have a ring with two stamp mark, MW 80 What does that mean?
i don’t know what stamp
I have a gold tone ring that has the letters MEL on the inside,do you happen to know what that means? Thank you
Good day,
I have a ring stamped 1588 PLAT 18CT
What does that mean?
Kind regards
Lizel
Hi Lizel! 18CT indicates a stated 18-carat gold component, while PLAT commonly refers to platinum. Some pieces combine the two metals, but the full marks and construction need examination before confirming that for your ring. 1588 is not enough on its own to date it. If you need a value assessment, our appraisal service is here: https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/jewelry-appraisal/.
I have a small jade ring which I thought was in 18k. However the only marking I can find on it is 8/5. I believe it came from abroad. Can you help at all?
Regards
I have an old ring with these stamps what does it mean or what time frame is it from? Any details would be great.
Good afternoon
There is a stamp on the gold ring
I will be glad to your help
Hi I have a ring that has f China stamped on it what does it mean?
My ring has an “M” or maybe “W” what does that mean,no numbers,now circle l,just a letter?
Hello. I have a necklace with “AT” stamped on the clasp. Anyone know what this might mean or what it may stand for?
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