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 cameo ring the ring it’s self is silver in color and has chinese lettering stamped inside it
Thanks for the comment, Milo!
We reached out via email to help you check your ring out. 🙂
I’ve got a ring with 14k and next to the 14k its got a ‘ mark like 14k’ or 14k’ something of that sort but it’s marked twice with the same thing one in each side of the ring also has diamonds what’s this mean and what’s it worth
Hi there! The 14K means your ring is made of 14 karat gold. The small mark next to it (like 14K’) is likely a maker’s stamp and doesn’t affect the gold content. Having it stamped on both sides could just be part of the design.
As for value, that depends on the diamonds and overall condition. If you’d like a professional appraisal, here’s a link to our service:
👉 https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/jewelry-appraisal/
Hope this helps!
I have a old cross necklace with SU CH CZ.. the clasp has SU CH. It has no marking
With a K no where. Can you tell what these .markings ate please.
Hi there! Thanks for your question — great eye on those markings 👀
SU usually refers to Sunshine Jewelry, a U.S.-based manufacturer known for gold-plated and sterling silver pieces.
CH could be a manufacturer’s internal code or style reference.
CZ stands for Cubic Zirconia — a popular diamond alternative.
Since there’s no “K” marking (like 10K or 14K), it’s likely not solid gold. If you’d like a more definitive answer, we recommend our appraisal service here:
👉 https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/jewelry-appraisal/
Hope this helps!
I recently obtained a ring in Vietnam. I am curious about the stamps on the inside. Any idea? The jeweler claims the ring is made of 18-carat gold.
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out — that sounds like a beautiful find!
If you’re curious about the stamps inside the ring and want to confirm the authenticity or gold content, we recommend checking out our Jewelry Appraisal service here:
👉 https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/jewelry-appraisal/
Our experts can provide a detailed evaluation and give you more insight into the materials, markings, and value of your piece. Let us know if you have any questions — we’d be happy to help!
I have clip on earings that has P799 engraved whqt does it mwan
Hi Tracey! Thanks for sharing your question with us. The “P799” engraving on your clip-on earrings is most likely a manufacturer’s or style mark rather than an indication of metal purity. Jewelry stamps can vary widely depending on the maker, and they don’t always refer to precious metal content.
If you’d like to get a clearer idea of your earrings’ history, materials, and value, we recommend checking out our Jewelry Appraisal service. Our experts can give you a detailed assessment and help you learn more about your piece.
You may check it out through this link – https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/jewelry-appraisal/
I have this maya ring think it is 925 but need help
Maya ring gold in color has 25 missing the 9
My necklace has a stamp ABRM 375 stamp on it what does this mean
Hi Amanda! 375 denotes a stated gold content of 37.5%, equivalent to 9ct gold. ABRM is a separate mark and cannot reliably be attributed to a maker from the letters alone. If confirming the metal content is important, you can review our testing service here: https://quickjewelryrepairs.com/repair/metal-testing/.
I got a pin that ha MR on it and has no other stamp. What does that mean
The “MR” stamp is most likely a maker’s mark (the initials of the brand or designer). Since there’s no metal stamp like 925 or 14K, it doesn’t indicate gold or silver on its own. If you’d like a closer look, our jewelry appraisal service can help identify it further!
I have a pearl necklace that has a clasp with a semi circle with a bar on top and a T inside the circle, it also has 14K and WG stamped .. what is the circle with a t means?
I have a gold ring with the number “8” stamped on the inside, can you tell me what it means?
Thank you for your help.
Barry ilar
Thanks for reaching out, Barry! We’ve sent you an email and see how we may be able to help with your query.
Showing 11 threads with 19 comments · page 58 of 58