Tiny numbers and letters stamped inside jewelry can tell you a lot.
A ring might say 14K, 585, 925, 750, GP, GF, or something completely unfamiliar.
These markings can provide clues about:
- What metal the jewelry contains
- How pure the metal is
- Whether it is solid gold or plated
- Who made the piece
- Where it may have been manufactured or tested
- Whether the jewelry may have precious-metal value
But there is one important rule to remember:
A jewelry stamp is a clue—not proof.
Jewelry can be incorrectly marked, altered, repaired, plated, or even counterfeited. The actual metal should be professionally tested when authenticity or value matters.
At Gold Kings, we regularly evaluate jewelry with familiar markings, foreign hallmarks, worn stamps, unusual symbols, and sometimes no markings at all.
Quick Jewelry Hallmark Chart
If you just want to identify a common stamp, start here.
| Marking | Usually Means | Approximate Precious-Metal Content |
|---|---|---|
| 375 | 9K gold | 37.5% gold |
| 417 / 10K | 10K gold | 41.7% gold |
| 585 / 14K | 14K gold | 58.5% gold |
| 750 / 18K | 18K gold | 75% gold |
| 916 / 22K | 22K gold | 91.6% gold |
| 999 / 24K | Fine gold | About 99.9% gold |
| 925 / Sterling | Sterling silver | 92.5% silver |
| 950 PT / PLAT | Platinum | About 95% platinum |
| GP | Gold plated | Gold surface over another metal |
| GEP | Gold electroplated | Gold surface over another metal |
| HGE | Heavy gold electroplate | Heavier gold-plated surface |
| GF | Gold filled | Bonded gold layer over another metal |
| RGP | Rolled gold plate | Mechanically bonded gold layer |
The numbers are only part of the story.
Letters before or after a number can completely change what the stamp means.
For example, 14K and 14K GP are not the same thing.
What Is a Jewelry Hallmark?
The word hallmark is often used broadly to describe the tiny markings found on jewelry.
Technically, several different kinds of marks may appear on one piece.
Purity or Fineness Mark
This tells you the intended precious-metal content.
Examples include:
- 10K
- 14K
- 18K
- 417
- 585
- 750
- 916
- 925
Maker’s Mark
A maker’s mark can identify the manufacturer, jeweler, importer, retailer, or other company responsible for the piece.
It may appear as:
- Initials
- A company name
- A logo
- A symbol
Assay or Official Hallmark
Some countries have formal hallmarking systems in which precious-metal items are tested through authorized assay offices.
Those markings may help identify:
- Metal purity
- Assay office
- Country
- Maker
- Time period
The United States does not use the same compulsory assay-office hallmarking system found in some European countries, so American jewelry is often identified primarily through quality and manufacturer markings.
How to Read a Jewelry Hallmark Step by Step
You do not need to be a jeweler to learn something from a stamp.
Start with these steps.
1. Find the Mark
Jewelry markings are normally placed somewhere they will not interfere with appearance.
Rings
Look inside the band.
Necklaces
Check:
- The clasp
- Jump ring
- End tabs
- Small tags near the clasp
Bracelets
Look near:
- Clasps
- Hinges
- Safety catches
- End pieces
Earrings
Check:
- Posts
- Backs
- Inner surfaces
- Undersides
Pendants and Brooches
Look on the back or around the bail.
A jeweler’s loupe, magnifying glass, or the macro camera on your phone can make tiny markings much easier to read.
2. Look for a Number
The number frequently identifies metal purity.
For gold, you may see either a karat mark or a three-digit fineness mark.
For example:
14K = approximately 585 parts gold per 1,000
and:
18K = 750 parts gold per 1,000
That is why 14K jewelry may be marked 585, while 18K jewelry may be marked 750.
Common Gold Hallmarks and What They Mean
417 or 10K Gold
A 417 stamp normally represents approximately 41.7% pure gold.
That corresponds to 10-karat gold.
417 = 10K = approximately 41.7% gold
The rest of the jewelry is made from other metals that help provide strength, hardness, color, and durability.
585 or 14K Gold
A 585 stamp usually indicates approximately 58.5% pure gold.
That corresponds closely to 14K gold.
585 = approximately 14K = 58.5% gold
This is one of the most important markings to recognize because 14K jewelry is common in the United States.
750 or 18K Gold
A 750 stamp normally indicates 75% pure gold.
That is the same basic purity represented by 18K.
750 = 18K = 75% gold
Because it contains significantly more gold than 10K or 14K jewelry of the same weight, accurately identifying a 750 piece can make a substantial difference when determining its precious-metal value.
916 or 22K Gold
A 916 marking represents approximately 91.6% pure gold.
That corresponds to about 22K.
916 = approximately 22K = 91.6% gold
You may see 916 on:
- Bangles
- Chains
- Bracelets
- Wedding jewelry
- Imported jewelry
- High-purity gold jewelry
It is especially common in jewelry traditions where higher-karat gold is preferred.
999 or 24K Gold
A 999 stamp indicates approximately 99.9% pure gold.
It is commonly associated with:
- Fine gold
- 24K gold
- Gold bars
- Bullion
- Some high-purity jewelry
You may also encounter markings such as:
- .999
- 999.9
- 9999
These indicate extremely high gold purity.
What Does 925 Mean on Jewelry?
925 usually means sterling silver—not gold.
A genuine 925 item contains approximately:
92.5% silver
with the remaining portion consisting of other metals added for strength.
Common silver markings include:
- 925
- .925
- Sterling
- Ster
This becomes confusing when the jewelry looks gold.
What If Jewelry Is Gold Colored but Says 925?
A gold-colored piece stamped 925 is generally sterling silver underneath the gold-colored surface, rather than solid gold.
The outside may have:
- Gold plating
- A gold-colored coating
- A vermeil finish
So remember:
925 does not mean 92.5% gold.
It refers to sterling silver.
Gold Kings has a separate guide explaining what 925 means on gold-colored jewelry in greater detail.
Gold-Plated and Gold-Filled Jewelry Marks
This is where reading the entire stamp becomes extremely important.
Consider these two markings:
14K
and
14K GP
They may look similar at first glance.
They mean very different things.
GP — Gold Plated
GP generally means gold plated.
A thin layer of gold has been applied over another metal.
Example:
18K GP
generally indicates an item plated with 18K gold rather than an item made throughout from solid 18K gold alloy.
GEP — Gold Electroplated
GEP means gold electroplated.
Gold has been deposited onto another metal using an electroplating process.
Again, the karat number generally refers to the gold used on the surface.
It does not mean the entire piece contains that percentage of gold.
HGE — Heavy Gold Electroplate
HGE generally means heavy gold electroplate.
The item still contains a gold coating over another material rather than being solid gold throughout.
GF — Gold Filled
GF means gold filled.
Gold-filled jewelry uses a mechanically bonded gold layer over another metal.
You might see something like:
1/20 14K GF
That does not mean the entire item is solid 14K gold.
The fraction and karat mark provide information about the gold layer used in making the piece.
RGP — Rolled Gold Plate
RGP stands for rolled gold plate.
Like gold-filled jewelry, a gold alloy layer has been mechanically bonded to another metal.
It should not be valued the same way as a piece made throughout from solid karat gold.
What Does 14KP Mean?
This stamp causes a lot of confusion.
14KP usually means 14-karat plumb gold.
The P does not normally mean plated when it appears as 14KP.
Plumb is intended to indicate that the gold meets the stated karat standard rather than being rounded up from a lower purity.
Compare:
- 14K — 14-karat gold
- 14KP — 14-karat plumb gold
- 14K GP — 14K gold plated
Those spaces and letters matter.
What Does Vermeil Mean?
Gold vermeil is different from ordinary base-metal gold plating.
Under U.S. jewelry guidance, vermeil uses sterling silver as the base metal and a qualifying gold coating.
That is why a vermeil item may carry a 925 or Sterling mark even though the jewelry looks yellow or rose gold.
A 925 stamp alone does not prove that an item meets all requirements to be described as vermeil.
Common Silver Hallmarks
Silver also uses fineness numbers.
| Silver Mark | Approximate Silver Content |
|---|---|
| 800 | 80% silver |
| 900 | 90% silver |
| 925 | 92.5% silver |
| 950 | 95% silver |
The most familiar is 925 sterling silver.
Be careful with silver-plated objects.
Words such as:
- Silverplate
- EP
- EPNS
can indicate that the item has a silver surface over another metal rather than being solid sterling silver.
That distinction can make a major difference in precious-metal value.
Common Platinum Marks
Platinum jewelry may use markings such as:
- PT
- PLAT
- 950 PT
- 950 PLAT
- 900 PT
For example:
950 PT generally means approximately 95% platinum.
Do not identify a metal based on a three-digit number without considering the letters and the rest of the jewelry.
A number such as 950 can describe different precious metals depending on the marking system and context.
What Are Maker’s Marks?
Not every stamp tells you metal purity.
A second stamp may identify who made or sold the jewelry.
Maker’s marks can sometimes help determine:
- Manufacturer
- Designer
- Country of origin
- Approximate age
- Whether the piece may have value beyond its metal content
This matters because some jewelry should not automatically be treated as scrap.
A designer, vintage, antique, collectible, or historically important piece might be worth more as jewelry than simply for the gold or silver it contains.
Does Real Gold Always Have a Hallmark?
No.
Real gold can exist without a visible stamp.
There are many reasons.
The hallmark may have:
- Worn away
- Been polished away
- Been removed during resizing
- Disappeared when a clasp was replaced
- Become difficult to read with age
Older, handmade, foreign, and previously repaired jewelry can also have unusual or missing markings.
So:
No stamp does not automatically mean fake gold.
Gold Kings has a more detailed guide explaining whether real gold has to be stamped.
If you have an old chain, ring, bracelet, single earring, or inherited piece without a visible mark, it may still be worth testing.
Can Fake Jewelry Have a Real-Looking Gold Stamp?
Yes.
A piece of jewelry can be stamped:
- 10K
- 14K
- 18K
- 417
- 585
- 750
- 916
and still fail professional testing.
A stamp tells you what the jewelry claims to contain.
Testing helps determine what the metal actually contains.
This is especially important when buying secondhand jewelry or evaluating an item worth a significant amount of money.
If authenticity is uncertain, our guide to whether a gold hallmark can be fake explains why a stamp should never be treated as proof by itself.
The Stamp Says 14K, but What If It Tests Lower?
It can happen.
Jewelry may test differently from its apparent stamp because of:
- Repairs
- Solder
- Mixed-metal components
- Replaced clasps
- Surface plating
- Manufacturing differences
- Incorrect markings
- Counterfeit stamps
Different areas of the same piece can sometimes produce different results.
That is one reason professional precious-metal evaluation should involve more than simply reading the number stamped inside a ring.
How Gold Kings Tests Jewelry
If the marking is unclear—or if you simply want to know what the jewelry actually contains—professional testing can provide more information.
At Gold Kings, precious-metal evaluation can include professional testing methods such as XRF analysis.
XRF testing analyzes the elements present at or near the surface of the metal and can provide a detailed breakdown of metals such as:
- Gold
- Silver
- Copper
- Platinum
- Palladium
- Zinc
- Other alloy metals
This can be extremely useful when evaluating jewelry marked:
- 417
- 585
- 750
- 916
- 925
- 999
or jewelry with no readable mark at all.
However, professional interpretation still matters.
Plating, repairs, solder, mixed-metal construction, and other factors can affect a reading. An experienced evaluator considers the hallmark, construction, weight, surface condition, and appropriate testing methods together rather than relying blindly on one number.
Gold Kings’ Approach Is Simple
We test it. We weigh it. We explain it. You decide.
You do not have to know what your jewelry is before bringing it in.
How Jewelry Hallmarks Affect Value
A hallmark by itself does not tell you exactly what a piece is worth.
For precious-metal jewelry, several factors matter.
1. Actual Metal Purity
A 20-gram piece of 18K gold contains more pure gold than a 20-gram piece of 10K gold.
For the same total weight:
- 10K contains about 41.7% gold
- 14K contains about 58.5% gold
- 18K contains 75% gold
- 22K contains about 91.6% gold
That is why testing the actual purity matters.
2. Weight
More precious metal generally means more intrinsic metal value.
But the total weight of a piece may also include:
- Stones
- Pearls
- Springs
- Clasps
- Watch movements
- Non-gold components
Those parts may need to be considered separately.
3. Current Precious-Metal Price
Gold, silver, platinum, and other precious-metal prices change with the market.
The underlying metal value therefore changes even if the piece itself stays exactly the same.
You can check current market information on our gold and silver prices page.
4. Diamonds and Gemstones
Some jewelry contains stones that have value separate from the precious metal.
A professional evaluation should consider whether a diamond, gemstone, or other component deserves separate attention.
5. Brand, Age, and Collectibility
Not every piece should automatically be melted.
Designer jewelry, certain watches, estate jewelry, antique pieces, and collectible items can sometimes have value above their raw precious-metal content.
Thinking About Selling Jewelry?
Your hallmark is a good starting point.
It should not be the final calculation.
Before selling gold jewelry, you should understand:
- What the item actually contains
- What it weighs
- The current precious-metal price
- Whether stones or non-gold components affect the weight
- Whether the piece has additional jewelry or collectible value
Gold Kings can test and evaluate jewelry even when you do not understand the markings.
That includes:
- Gold rings
- Chains
- Bracelets
- Bangles
- Earrings
- Broken jewelry
- Estate jewelry
- Inherited jewelry
- Sterling silver
- Coins and bullion
- Watches
- Other qualifying precious-metal items
There is no reason to throw something away simply because the stamp is missing or unfamiliar.
Have Your Jewelry Tested at Gold Kings
If you found 417, 585, 750, 916, 999, 925, GP, GF, or another unusual stamp and still aren’t sure what you have, bring the item to Gold Kings.
We can examine the jewelry, test the precious metal, weigh it, and explain what the results mean.
Gold Kings of Snellville
3635 Stone Mountain Hwy
Snellville, GA 30039
770-771-4650
Gold Kings of Snellville serves customers throughout Gwinnett County and surrounding communities who want to identify, evaluate, or sell gold, silver, jewelry, coins, bullion, and other qualifying valuables.
Gold Kings of Commerce
480 Banks Crossing Dr
Commerce, GA 30529
706-336-0043
Gold Kings of Commerce provides precious-metal evaluation for customers in Commerce and surrounding Northeast Georgia communities.
You do not need to identify every piece before you visit.
Bring the jewelry and let us help determine what you actually have.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jewelry Hallmarks
What do the numbers stamped on jewelry mean?
Numbers frequently indicate metal purity. For example, 585 normally represents approximately 58.5% gold, 750 represents 75% gold, and 925 normally represents 92.5% silver. The entire stamp should be considered because additional letters can change the meaning.
Is 585 the same as 14K?
Generally, yes. A 585 gold mark means approximately 58.5% pure gold, which corresponds closely to 14-karat gold.
Is 750 real gold?
Genuine 750 jewelry is real gold containing approximately 75% pure gold, equivalent to 18K. However, the stamp itself does not prove that the metal is genuine.
What does 925 mean on gold-colored jewelry?
A 925 stamp usually identifies sterling silver containing 92.5% silver. If the piece looks gold, the sterling silver may have a gold-colored or actual gold coating. It should not automatically be treated as solid gold.
Does 14KP mean gold plated?
Usually, no. 14KP normally means 14-karat plumb gold. A marking such as 14K GP, on the other hand, generally indicates gold plating.
Is gold filled the same as solid gold?
No. Gold-filled jewelry has a bonded gold layer over another metal. Solid karat-gold jewelry consists of the gold alloy throughout the qualifying metal portion of the item.
Can fake gold have a 14K or 18K stamp?
Yes. Incorrect or counterfeit stamps exist. That is why valuable jewelry should be tested rather than identified solely by its hallmark.
Is jewelry with no stamp worthless?
No. Genuine gold and other precious-metal jewelry can have missing or unreadable hallmarks because of wear, repairs, resizing, age, or the way the piece was manufactured.
Can XRF tell whether jewelry is real gold?
XRF analysis can provide valuable information about the elements present at or near the surface of jewelry and help estimate precious-metal composition. Plated or mixed-metal pieces require experienced interpretation, so professional evaluation may use the XRF result along with other evidence.
Where can I have jewelry hallmarks checked?
Gold Kings can professionally evaluate precious-metal jewelry at our Snellville and Commerce, Georgia locations. You can bring in marked or unmarked jewelry and have the metal examined and weighed before deciding whether you want to sell.
Don’t Guess What Your Jewelry Is Worth
A tiny stamp can give you a useful clue.
But 417, 585, 750, 916, 925, GP, GF, and other jewelry markings are only the beginning of the evaluation.
The most important questions are what the item actually contains and how much valuable precious metal is present.
If you have old, broken, inherited, foreign, or unidentified jewelry, bring it to Gold Kings of Snellville or Gold Kings of Commerce.
We’ll help you understand what you have before you decide what to do with it.
We test it. We weigh it. We explain it. You decide.
