Gold Jewelry Stamp Meanings

gold jewelry stamp meanings

If you’ve inherited jewelry from your grandmother or bought it at a thrift store, you may not be sure what the symbols on your jewelry mean. The gold jewelry stamps, also called hallmarks, can reveal important information about the metal’s purity and history. Deciphering the markings can help you determine if your jewelry is priceless heirloom or cheap knockoff.

The most common stamp is the gold purity mark. This is usually expressed as a number followed by “k” (for karat) or “ct” (for carat). For example, 14k means that your piece of jewelry has 14.3 grams of pure gold in it. Gold purity is measured in divisions of 24; thus, a higher number indicates a purer piece of gold.

A jewelry item may also have a stamp that indicates the silver or platinum content. Generally, these marks are written in either a rectangular or oval format with the corners rounded off. A rectangle is used to indicate silver, while an oval indicates platinum. Some items of jewelry may be stamped with a symbol that looks like a house; this is often used to indicate the manufacturer.

Another useful marker that is commonly found on gold jewelry is a date letter. This was once a way to identify the responsible assay office, but in recent years has become more of a general purpose marking to show the year the item was assayed.

Other types of gold jewelry markings include maker’s marks, location stamps, and karat weight numbers. A maker’s mark is a custom stamp or engraving placed in a piece of jewelry by its manufacturer. The mark can be a letter or an ornate icon, and it is often used to identify a specific company. There are thousands of unique maker’s marks; finding one that matches the jewelry you own is a challenging task.

A location stamp indicates the city or town in which a piece of jewelry was made. This mark is used on antique jewelry as well as some modern pieces. If your jewelry is marked with a lion’s head, for example, it was made in London.

Karat weight numbers are often used in place of purity marks, as they are more universally recognized. Karat weight is the amount of pure gold in a piece of jewelry and is expressed as a percentage. Thus, 750/1000 is gold that is 75% pure.

While gold jewelry markings might seem complex, they are actually quite simple to understand. With a little bit of research, you can learn to read the different markings on your jewelry and determine its origin and value. The process of learning these markings can be very rewarding, as it can open up a whole new world of jewelry knowledge. So the next time you’re shopping for gold jewelry, make sure you look for these important markings! And if you have any questions, be sure to contact us. We’re always happy to help. Until next time, keep your jewelry shining!