BTW, it is very kind and generous of you to answer questions to people concerns about their jewelry. My husband recently upgraded my wedding ring set for our 25th anniversary. The bridal set is 2. T in white gold. I had it sized.
Are you familiar with this mark? Hi Ana, thanks for commenting and for the kind words. It sounds like you have a beautiful piece there.
Hopefully that helps a little, and we wish you the best. From that stamp alone, we can say that the bracelet is at least claiming to be solid 10 karat gold.
I have a diamond ring with 14 Kw P stamped on the inside. The P is stamped inside off square. I was wonder what that means. Hi I bought a white gold necklace and a ring at the mall. I was confused. Is it fake? Hello Tere, thanks for commenting.
Unfortunately, there are chains out there that are fake but are still stamped with or 14k. If I encounter one of these chains, I tell the client about it right away. Be sure to test an area away from the clasp though. The clasp will almost always be magnetic on real and fake chains because of the steel spring. Same problem on a white gold chain stamped 14k italy. Took it to several places who said was fake. So removed the rhodium plate by reverse electroplateing it.
Very strange? Poor quality metal alloy perhaps? Hi Dan, thanks for contacting us. It is likely a base metal copper perhaps that was plated white. Feel free to come by the shop sometime, and our gemologists would be happy to take a look. Please and thank you in advance. Hi Maribel, thanks for reaching out to us. Hi Kiler, thanks for commenting. Excellent site! I was able to determine that my ring was a Zales , so exciting to know! Hi Kristin, thanks for commenting. A Lindy Star is a type of synthetic man made star sapphire that was commonly used in jewelry in the s to s.
Hopefully that helps, and feel free to ask if you have any other questions. I have just bought a secondhand white gold and diamond bracelet which has no hallmark. However, it looks as though somebody has engraved the following on the inside: RD. Is this normal please? Hi Tracy, thanks for commenting. That stamp is a tough one.
Of course, the 18k portion indicates that the piece is 18 karat gold. We would have to look at the piece in person to say for sure. Hopefully that helps, and we wish you the best with your bracelet.
It has stamped with a diamond shape around it and next to that says Italy. Any help would be great, thank you. As you may have seen in the article, usually indicates 9 karat gold. This means that the ring has a very low percentage of pure gold around So, there are a much higher percentage of other alloy metals than in other jewelry that you may own.
This could explain your allergic reaction. You might check out our article on allergic reactions to jewelry for some more information and tips. Hi John, thanks for commenting. Discerning hallmarks like that on jewelry can be quite a challenge.
The crown hallmark often indicates that the piece is gold, and the 18 may refer to 18k gold, but it may not. If you are in the Sacramento, CA area, you can always bring the piece by and we would be happy to look at it.
Otherwise, I would recommend that you find a local jeweler who specializes in vintage and antique jewelry. They might be willing to help you determine what the rest of the markings mean. Hopefully that helps, and feel free to let us know if you have any additional questions. I cannot find anything online. Ring belonged to my mother or grandmother. Totally stumped and emptyhanded with online search — may I send a photo to you?
Hi Wendy, it seems like you have an interesting ring there. Thanks for commenting. Feel free to email us some photos. We may not be able to decipher the stamp for you, but we can probably give you some guidance on the piece itself.
I have emailed some photos. Thank you for such a speedy response! Appreciate your time! Was there ever anything figured out with this? If you find anything out please post it here. We will definitely do the same. Sorry years later but it may help someone else.
Hi Heidi, thanks for commenting. From looking at a few of the other comments on this page, the stamp may refer to the Zale company. It seems like they used to stamp some of their jewelry with it. Hi Cathy, thanks for commenting. Hi Kathleen, thanks for commenting. Hi Autumn, thanks for contacting us. Of course, the 14k means the ring is about Hi Priscilla, thanks for reaching out to us. That one is tricky. Please let us know if you are able to find out what it means.
Hi Irasema, thanks for commenting. Feel free to bring them by the shop and I can test them for you on my gold tester to be sure. Hello, thanks for reaching out. So I was just wondering what the GWR means since its right next to the 10k stamp. Any Ideas? Hi Jon, thanks for commenting. It sounds like you did your homework on that one. Hopefully that helps, and feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.
Hello, I received a yellow gold ring from the late s. Any idea what this means? Hi Christina, thanks for commenting. That sounds like an interesting stamp. Since stamps vary so widely, it is almost impossible to say with certainty, but hopefully that helps a little.
I have a wide gold bangle marked vol 10 ct it has no stones on it. If so, what countries mark gold that way? Of course, there is no substitute for being able to see the piece in person. If you are in the Sacramento area, we would be happy to have our gemologists take a loot at it for you. If not, and you are confident it is worth more, you could consider taking it to a reputable, local jewelry appraiser.
With a written appraisal in hand, you may be able to get more for your piece especially if you decide to sell it directly on eBay or Craigslist. Hi Kerry, thanks for the contribution. You are absolutely right. It must make things incredibly complicated when trying to differentiate between carats as a unit of weight e. I was given a ring that belonged to my great grandmother, it has a large blue stone and it says 14k with an inverted upside down triangle beside of it stamped inside the band.
What does the triangle mean and how can I check if the stone is more than glass? As for identifying the center stone, that can get tricky. Your best bet would be to bring it to a professional appraiser who is also a gemologist. They should be able to accurately identify the stone for you and give you an idea of how much it might be worth.
If you are in the Sacramento area, we offer that service at no charge. Thanks Jesse R. Hi Jesse, thanks for reaching out to us.
Hi, how do I know if a diamond ring is genuine? Should I go to a valuer or a jeweler or an antique dealer? If they have their own gemology lab on the premises, that would be ideal. Such a person should be able to tell you if your diamond is genuine or not. Of course, if you are in the Sacramento, CA area, we would be happy to evaluate the piece for you, and we also offer an insurance appraisal service. Will the yellow colour be the same? Thanks for asking.
Most 18k yellow gold regardless of which country it is produced in will be very close in color, but there are definitely different alloys that have different colors. That said, a competent jeweler should have a variety of alloys to choose from and be able to match the color of your ring within a small margin when sizing it. Our advice would be to visit the jeweler in person and ask if they will be able to match the color of your ring before leaving it for sizing. Hopefully that helps, and let us know if you have any additional questions.
It is interesting to note that there have been several other comments inquiring about this same stamp. Let us know if you discover anything more about the piece. I have a question. My fiance bought my engagement ring from someone he knows. Hi Mariya, thanks for asking. It sounds like you have a beautiful ring there. The 14k stamp is, of course, a good indication that the ring is 14 karat gold. Unfortunately, nothing in the stamp tells us whether or not there are 2 carats of diamonds on the ring.
Hey I was wondering what does C14KP mean? I found a ring awhile back and on one part it has KP and on the other side has c14kp? It has a diamond in the center with two smaller ones, one on each side.
There is a breather hole underneath ring straight under the middle diamond can that be real and valuable to? Hi Chris, thanks for commenting. The 14KP part of the stamp indicates that the piece is 14 karat plum gold. Remember from the article that this means the piece contains at least The hole you see underneath the center stone is to help with the cleaning process.
Dirt and grime can build up on the underside of gemstones over time which makes them less brilliant. The hole under the stone allows cleaning solution to come in contact with that part of the stone and clean off this build up.
Hi Carl, thanks for contacting us. First of all, congratulations! Owning gold of any kind in your investment portfolio is a good idea. I would suggest you get familiar with the gold market. I use kitco. Of course, some gold coins have numismatic or collector value that can make them worth more than the market price, but since we are talking about gold bars for investing, the market price is what you should focus on.
For bullion investing, try to get as close to current market as you can. I would also recommend getting physical gold and not going through a service that stores your gold for you as long as you can safely store the gold. I also recommend buying gold through a trustworthy, local bullion or coin dealer. Just understand the current market price before you make your purchase.
Hello, I found a ring today and the marking inside says 14KPG there are no spaces or dashes. Hello Lexi, thanks for commenting. That stamp could mean a couple of things. Or, it could mean 14 karat gold that was designed by PG. Feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.
Of course, if you are in the Sacramento, CA area, you can always bring any jewelry you have by the shop for a free evaluation. Hi, I need to know. I received a ring for my birthday just yesterday. What can you make of this?
So, the stamp is meant to indicate that the design is copyrighted by that company. Without a stamp, it is unlikely that the ring is made out of a precious metal like gold or silver. If you want to know for sure, you can bring it by the shop anytime and one of our gemologists can evaluate it for you at no charge.
Hopefully that helps, and happy birthday! This is stamped on one side of the clasp Italy other side 10K. The other part of the clasp has Air Solid in a triangle and MO on the other side. Hi Russell, thanks for commenting. The other stamps are a bit trickier. I have a wedding ring from my great-great-great grandfather that is a solid yellow band with a belt buckle decoration. Any ideas? Hi Jeff, thanks for commenting. That sounds like an interesting piece you have there.
Each manufacturer has their own way of marking the metal purity some use 14k, other use , etc. Hi Nividha, good question. The answer is that gold can be made in virtually any purity you can imagine. Industry standards have evolved over time for the most common alloys 14k, 18k, etc. With that in mind, 12k is generally used in gold filled jewelry, but it should state 12k GF or 12K gold filled. Also, some designers, like Scott Kay, have experimented with 19k gold recently.
Finally, 21k is actually a very popular alloy. It is often stamped Hi, I have a lot of 9k gold rings and was thinking: is it possible to separate the pure gold out of them and make a 22k gold ring or is that a stupid question? The process of separating pure gold from a karat alloy is called refining.
It requires some specialized equipment that you will really only find at serious refining operations not at a local jewelry store. Of course, if you want to make a new piece of jewelry, the easiest and least expensive way would be to trade in your 9k gold rings for credit, and then we can custom design your new piece and use fresh gold to make it. Feel free to contact us , if you would like any additional info. I have a yellow gold ring, just a band with designs, but no stones on it.
Since gold is naturally yellow, other metals have to be added alloyed to it to bleach it white. So, there is only about Can you give me some idea as to what the imprint means?
Hi Leigh, thanks for commenting. That is an unusual stamp. Our best recommendation would be to have the ring tested by a gemologist to determine what the metal is. If you are in the Sacramento area, we would be happy to test it for free for you. Just come on by the shop. I have one question! I was looking at wedding rings and I noticed that the ring had 10kg what does the kg stand for?
Hi Jennifer, thanks for commenting. Hi Cind, thanks for contacting us. Determining which manufacturer uses that mark can be a bit tricky, however. On the description it says 18K White Gold Filled. What does this mean? Is it real or fake? It is a base metal that is covered with a very thin layer of 18k white gold. However, the piece is not solid gold. I have a white gold diamond ring with 14KT and RE That second stamp is most likely a SKU or style number from the manufacturer.
I have a yellow gold 14k ring with a yellow color diamond. Hi Emily, thanks for asking. There are two likely options. First, it may refer to the 14k being a plum alloy i. Second, it could be the name of the manufacturer who made the ring.
Normally, 14k plum gold is indicated with the 14KP marking, but it is entirely possible that they just decided to separate the plum portion from the rest of the stamp.
Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure what percentage of pure gold is in the ring is to have it assayed which is not something most jewelers have the equipment for you would probably need to talk to a refiner. Is there a way to tell what it should be? It is actually quite common for a stamp to wear off either partially or completely over time.
If enough of the stamp remains, you can make an educated guess as to what it was originally. The same rule applies to 18, 10, , If you can make out part of these common stamps, you can have a good idea of what the complete stamp was originally. However, even with an intact stamp, you need to have the metal tested to be absolutely sure of what it is. We offer this service for free if you are in the Sacramento, CA area. If not, I would recommend calling around to local jewelers to see if they would be willing to test your band.
I would further recommend that you avoid jewelers who will use acid or other destructive tests. It has PMS 14kp marked inside. I understand from previous answers what those markings probably mean. My question is who this ring may have belonged to. Would a ring with this marking have existed back then? You may be able to find an antique expert who knows that stamp by calling around to antique malls in your area.
Beyond that, I will keep my ears open, but associating a stamp with a particular designer can be a challenging task. Please let us know if you find anything out.
I was just wondering what it meant? Hi Skye, thanks for asking. It can be quite difficult to track down exactly which manufacturer the stamp belongs to. When cleaning up after my dad passed i found a ring in with a few of his possessions. I was just wondering if I should maybe take it in to a jeweler or if it really is just a simple little band with more sentimental than monetary value. Hi Kay, thanks for commenting. The 10k part, of course, means that the ring is 10k gold. You can definitely take it in to a jeweler to get an evaluation and a cash offer we do a free value appraisal , but my guess would be that the sentimental value will be more than the cash on this one.
Hopefully that helps, and let us know if you have any more questions. We have been told by a local jeweler that the red stone in the ring is not real.
Hi Scott, thanks for commenting. Those marks can take almost any form, and it can be very difficult to track down which manufacturer is associated with which stamp.
Hi Holli, thanks for asking. The jtc part of the stamp is from the manufacturer. The part seems to be an indication of the jewelry style or product line. The question of how much the ring is worth is a little more complicated. In order to say for sure, we would need to see the piece in person. We can give you a rough ballpark if we had some more information total gram weight, diamond size, color, cut clarity, etc.
Hopefully that helps, and we wish you the best. Hi guys, I have a gold ring that has AC24 stamped on one side and on the other side. What do the stamps mean, please?
Hi Kristy, thanks for asking. It can be difficult to tell which company or individual the stamp refers to though. A quality of or Thanks for your comment.
Hi Rusty, thanks for asking. Whoever made the ring identifies themselves with those initials. Of course, determining which company or individual made the ring from the stamp alone can be quite difficult. There are a couple options for this one. First, the 4 could be part of a double stamp. Things link the total diamond weight or a style number could be stamped on the ring. In this case, the 4 could be part of an informational stamp and the rest has worn off over time.
Hi experts! My question is: on ebay I can see rings which say gold filled and 14k. So, is this a real gold ring? Or just gold plated? Please help me. If they say the ring is gold filled and 14k, that means that it is made out of a base metal e.
This is different than gold plating which has much less gold, but with either gold filled or gold plated jewelry there is a very small amount of actual gold in the piece. Hopefully that helps, and good luck on eBay. I am absolutely clueless on the V4 part. What could it mean? Of course, it can be quite difficult to determine which company or individual designer corresponds to which mark without additional information.
Hi Savi, thanks for asking. It can be difficult to determine exactly what manufacture it is though without more information. Hi, just wanted to ask what does just KP mean in a ring? Hope that helps. Hi Tara, thanks for asking. Generally, manufacturers will put their logo, initials, or other identifying mark right next to the quality 14k stamp. Please let me know what you think. Hello, thanks for reaching out to us. The UP is likely the name or initials of the Korean company that made the bracelet.
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We strongly recommend that you upgrade your browser as soon as possible. Gold is mesmerizing in its beauty and workability.
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October 24, at pm. October 25, at am. Teri Homan says:. October 22, at am. October 23, at pm. Cam says:. January 19, at am. Grzegorz says:. The gold content varies from item to item. To indicate the percentage of gold in a piece of jewelry, jewelers use a combination of numbers and letters. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Useful tips What does stamped on a gold chain mean? Useful tips. Esther Fleming July 19, Yet, it is too soft to be used as jewelry.
Not only would it be fragile and prone to damage and breakage, but links and moving parts would wear down quickly. Therefore, karat gold is mixed alloyed with other base metals. Common components of gold alloy include copper, nickel, and zinc, among others. These additional metals impart greater strength and durability to fine gold jewelry. Mixing gold with other metals can change its color. Pure gold is yellow. Yet gold jewelry can be white or silver, red or rose, and green or lime instead.
As you can guess from the markings on gold jewelry, there is more than one gold variety. I'm referring to the purity only, not the color or style. Different varieties of gold jewelry contain a higher or lower percentage of gold, and there are a few standard varieties. The purity is expressed in karats or fineness. Pure gold is 24 karats and. So the various fine gold markings, or stamps, tell you the purity of each jewelry item.
More karats the number before the "K" or a higher number means higher gold content. It's "karats", not "carrots! The term, karat, pertains to gold, and so does karatage confusingly spelled caratage in the UK. In the US, karats are not the same as carats. A carat is a unit of measurement for gemstones. So most ladies would be thrilled to wear a 1-carat ring diamond, of course. However, she would sneer if her beau proposed to her with a 1-karat ring, if there were such a thing, because it would be completely worthless.
Then he would reply, with a quizzical expression, "I must have misunderstood your request, sweetheart. Okay, back to gold markings. Look at the table below. It displays all common gold jewelry markings, along with their meanings. So for each gold variety, it lists the fineness and karatage markings; any piece of jewelry will only be stamped with one or the other. Then it shows you what percentage of gold each variety of jewelry contains. The chart shows that both and mean karat gold.
The USA allows gold jewelry to be under karat, slightly. In other words, it can be marked 10K when it's only 9. So the higher number marking in these three cases means that it's a higher quality gold, and not under karated. Most fine gold jewelry is clearly marked or stamped. In which case it will display one of the markings discussed here. Some jewelry is marked with something else, instead of, or in addition to, those mentioned above.
Some other markings mean a jewelry item is not fine karat gold. In that case, it's either plated or filled gold, or it's costume plain old jewelry—not real gold. See my other guide to find out more about the different kinds of gold plated jewelry, including their markings. Vermeil, pronounced "ver-may," is gold-plated sterling silver. The is a reference to sterling silver, which is Some other markings convey details about the jewelry's origin.
It may signify who made it, or where it was made, or something similar. In these cases, a logo stands for a manufacturer, and a letter may actually stand for the year of production. Google is your best chance at finding information about these kinds of unusual jewelry markings.
As stated, this article doesn't cover hundreds of other obscure markings that you might find on gold and silver jewelry and other precious metal items. However, we've covered the basics about gold jewelry markings here. So you should be able to look at the stamp on your gold ring, necklace, bracelet, or earrings and understand what those letters and numbers mean. If, for example, your gold necklace is marked as or 14K, you know that means 14 Karat gold.
Sometimes, that mark may be followed by other letters and numbers. However, those won't have any bearing on the actual gold content, and their meaning is simply a matter of curiosity.
The item's purity has already been established by the first marking. Answer: Au is the symbol for gold on the periodic table, and means the jewelry is 18 karat gold. So this stamp is just another way of indicating that the jewelry is 18K gold. Question: I have a Cartier love bracelet I got used. It has a slightly tarnished look to it but has a stamp.
Is it silver plated? Do I have to worry about it turning my wrist green? Answer: A mark on jewelry means 18K gold. So it wouldn't be silver plated and could be white gold, but it shouldn't be tarnished either. Answer: I can only guess that a "" marking means a the item is a higher grade of sterling silver, which is usually marked "" Answer: Au is the symbol for gold on the periodic table. So AU just means the piece of jewelry is 18 karat gold.
Answer: If that's the only stamp present, the jewelry probably isn't gold. Otherwise it would be marked with one the the abbreviations above. Answer: The 14K portion of this marking means the ring is probably 14 karat gold. Question: What does "VC " mean when stamped on a Saudi gold necklace? Answer: The portion of the marking refers to 18 karat gold. Regarding jewelry from the middle east, I would expect it to be no less than 18K gold.
Purer gold jewelry 18K, 22K, and even 24K is far more popular in Asia than elsewhere. Answer: The "14K" portion probably indicates that your piece of jewelry is 14 karat gold. The rest of the marking has nothing to do with that fact. Question: Does the marking "Taiwan" mean jewelry is real gold or fake?
Question: I have a bracelet that says 10K CT and there are about diamonds on it. What does it mean though? Answer: Though you didn't mention it, your bracelet probably has silver parts and gold parts 10K which would make it a yellow and white bracelet. This is done to give contrast, and keeps the bracelet in a low price range since it is silver and low purity 10K gold.
White gold is never used with silver on a piece of jewelry, because they provide no contrast, they are essentially the same color. Some gold jewelry is composed of yellow and rose gold parts, which is the same idea. Answer: This stamp is not a gold jewelry marking, in that it doesn't indicate whether or not the ring is gold. It may be the year that it was given, and the buyer had it inscribed for posterity.
Question: I have a gold chain with stamped on the clasp, but the clasp is magnetic. What does this mean? Answer: The clasp is gold but contains a small steel spring, which is magnetic, which makes the clasp close.
Answer: No, it's not pure gold; 24K or means pure gold. Question: How can I know if the diamonds on my necklace are real or not? It's just marked "" on one side and " AR" on the other. Answer: There's no way for anybody to determine if diamonds are real without seeing them.
Question: I have a gold chain. The only marking on it is "JH. Answer: Most likely, the absence of an actual gold markings means that it simply isn't gold. Answer: If it's yellow, and the only marking is "H23C", then it's not gold jewelry. It is in a Whitehall Co box. Question: My ring has: "WR15", ".
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