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 come across a 14k pendant for a necklace that has another marking before it that I cant seem to find any information on. It is stamped with Z 35 before the 14k. The pendant is a heart with white and green stones socketed around the edges. Could the Z possible be the second half of CZ for cubic zirconium? If so, what does the 35 mean? Any information would be helpful!
Hi there,
I wouldn’t be so quick to say it’s cubic zirconia! The Z 35 stamp is a manufacturer’s stamp; I saw a similar item with the same mark. It was also 14k, and the stones were genuine diamond.
my husband has a ring that is stamped with 18k with a superscript 2 above the k. what does that mean?
Hi Christine,
The 18k indicates 75% gold content. As for the superscript, I’m not sure.
I have a platinum ring that has a diamond symbol, looking from the side, with two lines going out from the top downward at an angle to make a triangle of sorts. There are letters inside the diamond, but I can’t read them. Is thete no way to send a picture?
Unfortunately that type of lozenge hallmark is common and I would not be able to determine the manufacturer or designer. You may have better luck by figuring out the style of the ring and seeing if it corresponds to any particular time period.
I have a necklace that has 10k and a circle with a dot in it.
10k gold indicates 41.6% gold content, and the circle with a dot is either a manufacturer or designer’s mark.
Silver gold plated ring with little stones and engraved forever
The stamp I see on the inside looks like 3|c
Any idea what that means??
Hi there,
Most likely the manufacturer’s mark, doesn’t indicate anything about the metal type.
What’s 10 k 7RW mean on a ring
10k is a stamp for 41.7% gold content, the 7RW is a designer/manufacturer’s stamp.
I have a ring stamped L 8. What does it mean?
Most likely the manufacturer’s stamp; it doesn’t indicate anything about the metal.
I have a ring. Gold looking band, green stone, little stones around. Stamped on inside is
“KGEPAD” can’t seem to find anything!
Hi Zachary,
KGE usually indicates that your item is gold-electroplated, which means that your item isn’t solid gold. The PAD may be a manufacturer/designer’s stamp.
I have a gold nugget piece with an angel engraved, the only other marking is a V. It is left to me by my grandmother, wondering if it is real. It doesn’t change colors when wearing it.
Hi Dianna,
If it doesn’t have any standard gold stamps on it (such as 10k, 12k, 14k) it’d be hard to tell based off the description alone. You can send it in for a metal test if you’d like, though.
Do you know what a marking of an F inside of a diamond shape would mean? (Jewel diamond shape, not four-sided.) It immediately follows 14K.
Hi Cyndi,
That mark belongs to Fessenden & Co, an American jewelry manufacturer that was in operation in the 1800s.
I have a bracelet that has 14 individual squares all linked together. Its heavy and no tarnish or peeling. Took me forever to find any markings. 14k
But each individual square is marked 14k.
This is whats confusing me. This is some kind of expensive bracelet or is it just all together 14k
Hi Steph,
That’s very odd…I would get that tested if I were you, it’s not common to have an item with multiple gold stamps. There is a possibility it may be authentic, or it could be gold-fill, which is a very thick sheet of gold bonded to a non-expensive base metal, which would explain the weight.
I have a Marine Corp Swoard and on the metal it is stamped 30, what does that mean (PS on the handel and tip of the leather cover only)
Hi Cindy,
I’m afraid I can’t help you with non-jewelry items. You may want to reach out to experts in military regalia; they should be able to point you in the right direction.
I have a ring that is 10K but also have another stamp. A heart inside of a square. No clue what it means
Hi Tatiana,
Sounds like the manufacturer or designer’s stamp.
I have a ring with 17 e stamped in it any idea on what that means
Hi Jason,
That doesn’t indicate anything about the metal; it’s probably the designer or manufacturer’s stamp.
Have a triangle Turquoise Ring with the stamp 78 inside what does that mean… can’t find anything with the 78 print on Google
Hi Letoya,
It doesn’t indicate anything about the metal content, so it’s probably the manufacturer/designer’s stamp.
Hello
I have a gold rope gold chain that both end clasps are stamped m.a.
any idea what or who that could be?
Thank you
Hi Denise,
Sounds like your item may be made by M.A. Jewelers; they’re located in New Jersey and are still in operation. They started off with gold chain manufacturing, which fits the description of your item.
I have a 10k ring with small diamonds and inside it says 10k Co or C9?
What does this mean?
Hi Danielle,
The 10k stamp indicates 41.6% gold content; the Co or C9 is the manufacturer’s or designer’s stamp.
I have ring that has an odd stamp. It looks like a symbol of some type followed by SIER. There is a little wear on it.
Not sure if it is worth anything or throw away.
Hi TJ,
Based on the stamps alone I can’t tell you if the ring is valuable; could you provide more detail about the design, stones, and metal color?
I found a bracelet in the house I just moved in to. It was in a pretty box. When I opened the box there was a yellow gold and diamond bracelet. It still has a tag on it. On one side of the tag it reads 751434-A $17.99 52 weeks on the other it reads 14k .oct dia brac p1mqr sample. How do I find out its worth?
Hi Alyssa,
The only way to tell is to send it in for a jewelry appraisal. We can’t confirm the metal or the stone quality until it gets tested.
I have a ring with the numbers 2610011 stamped inside band i cant find anything related with these numbers and reciet only says 1. 14c tradring can you help me please
Hi Yancey,
It’s not uncommon to see lots of number and odd markings on costume jewelry, especially if manufactured in China. Based on your description it sounds like this is the case.
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