One day as you were fiddling with your ring, you noticed several inscribed letters and numbers on its inner side. However, you had no clue what these mysterious words etched into the metal meant. Perhaps you even panicked a little – did someone damage your precious accessory with these unsightly marks?
Well, fear not. You’ll never come across a ring that isn’t stamped in some way. These jewelry stamps & marks can tell you a lot about the origins of your jewelry, gold, silver, & rings. In this article, we’ll tell you what all these hallmarks on your gold mean.
Summary
Jewelry stamps and marks on gold, silver, & rings mean that the jewelry is made of a specific material. For instance, a 999 stamp on a piece of jewelry shows that it’s made of 99% gold. An “S” stamp or a “925” stamp indicates that the piece of jewelry or ring is made of silver.
In this article, we’ll also go over the following topics:
Maker’s mark identification symbols stamped on jewelry
Maker’s marks, or M marks, are popular mostly among US manufacturers. Or rather, it’s mandatory here since 1961. However, many foreign jewelry makers mark their pieces as well. It is one of the surest methods you can tell whether your ring is real or not. The M marks usually take the form of initials. Sometimes, they can appear as more elaborate inscriptions.
| Examples of markings | |
| Metal | Kt, 999, 750, 417 |
| Platinum | Pt, Plat |
| Diamonds | D, SOL |
| Silver | S, 925 |
But keep in mind that the initials may overlap. For instance, a DG stamp will most likely mean Dolce&Gabbana. However, it doesn’t have to point to this famous Italian brand. It could also be David Garner’s Jewelers or Donald S. Gilmore.
Since the initials can be confusing, you should be cautious when shopping – you never know what someone might try to sell you!
Hallmarks can sometimes be quite obscure. If you own an SK9 diamond ring, it was made by Allure Gems. It’s even if there’s no connection between the stamp and the brand name.
By the end of this article, you’ll know what it means if you see one of these markings:
- 925
- SOL
- Kt
- 999
- 750
Gold jewelry
Almost everyone owns some kind of jewelry. From wedding bands to vintage family heirlooms, they can symbolize many different things. But very few people notice what’s written on the inside.
And when they do, they have no idea what the inscriptions mean. Fortunately, we’ve prepared a list of the most common hallmarks you can find on both new and vintage accessories.
Kt, K
K or Kt stands for karats. These metrics define how pure the gold in your jewelry is. The more karats your golden piece has, the purer it is. However, this doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better. Gold is a soft and malleable metal. Without other alloys, it will bend easily.
999
Three-digit numbers denote the gold’s purity. The number 999 indicates that 99.9 % of your jewelry piece is made of real gold. It is the highest purity a manufacturer can achieve. In terms of karats, it would be 24. But this high purity can be a double-edged sword. The more of this precious metal your accessory has, the more prone it is to dents.
750
The number 750 means your ring contains 75 % pure gold. The rest are other metals and alloys. The 750 purity equals 18k.
417 gold
Jewelry pieces branded this way comprise 41.7 % gold content. That equals about 10 karats. Because they contain such a low amount of gold, these accessories are one of the cheapest on the market. And here in the US, they are truly the cheapest – most US brands don’t go below 10 karats.
333
This hallmark means your ring is made of 33.3 % gold, roughly 8 karats. However, you probably won’t find an 8-karat ring here in the US. European brands mostly manufacture such accessories.
585, 583, or 575 on a ring
The numbers refer to the amount of gold in your ring: 58.5, 58.3, and 57.5 %, respectively. All three hallmarks equal 14 k. This percentage varies from country to country.
625 on a ring
Nowadays, you will seldom come across 625 ring stamps. Although the 62.5% gold content used to be popular, but it was discontinued. However, rings are popular family heirlooms. If you inherited one, then odds are it will be stamped with this number.
900 or 950 on earrings
These numbers are not very common for gold. If you own a pair of 950-stamped earrings, they are most likely made of platinum. By now, you should know that they contain either 90 or 95 % of this metal.
GF
This symbol stands for gold-filled. Gold-filled jewelry pieces feature a base metal covered in a gold layer. Since it isn’t as pure, these types of accessories are generally cheap.
GP
A GP stamp means your item is gold-plated. Thus, it’s usually made from steel covered with 0.5 microns of gold. Generally, the purity must be at least 10 karats. Keep in mind that impure jewelry will tarnish much more easily. Always know what you’re buying when hunting for golden accessories.
HGE
This hallmark stands for High-Grade Electroplate. Electroplating is a method used to deposit gold onto the surface of another metal. As its name suggests, it utilizes an electric field. The exact mechanism isn’t important. What you should know is that HE pieces are essentially gold-plated.
A Crown
Also known as the Crown Standard, a crown stamp was used to mark jewelry made of gold. Although once popular in Britain, you can only find it on antique pieces nowadays.
White gold symbols
Platinum and white gold can look similar to one another. Fortunately, there’s a way you can tell them apart. If you see Pt or Plat on your ring, then it’s made mostly of platinum. On the other hand, karats are used solely for gold. If you see a K or ct symbol, your accessory is made of this metal.
Identification of diamond symbols
Most manufacturers use either D or SOL (for solitaire diamonds) to brand diamond jewelry.
D simply means that the piece has diamond pieces embedded into it. On the other hand, SOL refers to the presence of a single gemstone. Thus, you can find it on engagement rings.
You might also come across the CZ hallmark. It stands for cubic zirconia. Although similar in appearance, this isn’t a real diamond.
