What Does This Mark Mean?

A 925 stamp on a ring means it is made of sterling silver — an alloy containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, typically copper.

A 925 stamp on a necklace means it is made of sterling silver, containing 92.5% pure silver alloyed with 7.5% other metals for strength and durability.

A 750 stamp on jewelry means it is made of 18-karat gold, containing 75.0% pure gold alloyed with 25% other metals such as copper, silver, or palladium.

A 585 stamp on jewelry means it is made of 14-karat gold, containing 58.5% pure gold and 41.5% alloy metals like copper, silver, and zinc.

A 375 stamp on jewelry means it is made of 9-karat gold, containing 37.5% pure gold and 62.5% other metals. This is the minimum legal standard for gold in the UK and several other countries.

A 10K stamp on a ring means it is made of 10-karat gold, containing 41.7% pure gold and 58.3% alloy metals. This is the minimum gold standard legally permitted for sale as gold jewelry in the United States.

A 14K stamp on a ring means it is made of 14-karat gold, containing 58.5% pure gold and 41.5% alloy metals. It is the most popular gold standard for jewelry in the United States.

An 18K stamp on a ring means it is made of 18-karat gold, containing 75% pure gold and 25% alloy metals. This is the luxury standard used by most high-end jewelry houses worldwide.

A 999 stamp on jewelry means it is made of fine silver or fine gold — 99.9% pure precious metal with only trace amounts of other elements.

GP on jewelry stands for 'Gold Plated,' meaning the piece has a thin layer of gold electroplated over a base metal core, usually brass or copper. It is not solid gold.

GF on jewelry stands for 'Gold Filled,' meaning the piece has a thick layer of real gold mechanically bonded to a base metal core. Gold filled is significantly more durable than gold plated and contains much more actual gold.

A '925 Italy' stamp on a chain means it is sterling silver (92.5% pure silver) manufactured in Italy. Italian silver chains are renowned worldwide for their quality craftsmanship and innovative chain designs.

A lion stamp on silver is the 'lion passant' — the traditional British hallmark confirming that a piece meets the sterling silver standard of 92.5% pure silver. It has been used since 1544.

An anchor mark on silver is the hallmark of the Birmingham Assay Office in England. It identifies the piece as having been tested and certified for precious metal content in Birmingham, the world's busiest assay office.

A crown stamp on jewelry can have several meanings depending on the country: in the UK it historically indicated gold purity, in Italy it is part of the official hallmarking system, and in some cases it is simply a maker's logo or decorative element.

A 950 stamp on a ring almost always means it is made of 950 platinum — an alloy containing 95% pure platinum and 5% other metals, typically ruthenium, cobalt, or iridium. This is the most common platinum standard for jewelry.

S925 on jewelry means the piece is sterling silver — an alloy containing at least 92.5% pure silver. The 'S' simply stands for silver (or sterling), so S925 indicates the same metal standard as a plain 925 stamp. The mark is especially common on silver jewelry manufactured in China.

An 800 stamp on silver means the piece contains 80% pure silver, alloyed with 20% other metals, usually copper. It is a continental European standard, especially common on German, Italian, and other European flatware, holloware, and older jewelry. It is genuine silver, but a lower grade than sterling's 92.5%.

A 958 stamp on silver indicates Britannia silver — an alloy containing at least 95.84% pure silver, a higher grade than sterling's 92.5%. It is a British standard introduced in 1697, historically identified by a figure of Britannia in the hallmark and today by the millesimal number 958.

A 583 stamp on gold means the metal is 58.3% pure — the Soviet-era equivalent of 14 karat gold. The mark was the standard fineness for gold jewelry made in the USSR, typically accompanied by a star hallmark, and was replaced by the modern 585 standard after the Soviet Union dissolved.

A 417 stamp on jewelry means the piece is 10 karat gold — 41.7% pure gold alloyed with other metals. It is the minimum fineness that can legally be sold as gold in the United States. 10K gold is the most durable and affordable karat grade, with a paler color than 14K or 18K.

A 916 stamp on gold means the metal is 91.6% pure — the millesimal equivalent of 22 karat gold. It is the dominant standard for traditional jewelry in India and much of the Middle East, and in India it appears as '22K916' within the official BIS hallmark.

GE on jewelry stands for 'gold electroplate' — a very thin layer of real gold deposited onto a base metal by electroplating. Under US trade guidelines the plating must be at least 10 karat gold and about 0.175 microns thick. The gold content is minimal, so GE pieces have essentially no melt value.

HGE on jewelry stands for 'heavy gold electroplate' — a base metal piece coated with a thicker-than-standard layer of electroplated gold, about 2.5 microns under US trade guidelines. It is costume jewelry: more durable than ordinary plating, but the gold content is still tiny and the piece has essentially no melt value.

EPNS on silverware stands for 'electroplated nickel silver' — a base metal alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc coated with a thin layer of pure silver by electroplating. Despite the name, nickel silver contains no silver at all, so EPNS pieces are silver plated, not sterling, and carry little melt value.

EPBM stands for 'electroplated Britannia metal' — a thin coating of pure silver electroplated onto Britannia metal, a pewter-type alloy of mostly tin with antimony and copper. It contains almost no silver and is unrelated to Britannia standard silver. EPBM pieces are budget silver plate with minimal metal value.

KP on gold stands for 'karat plumb,' meaning the metal meets its stated karat exactly — 14KP is precisely 14 karat (58.3% gold), with no rounding down. It does not mean plated. The mark appeared after US law tightened gold-marking tolerances in the 1970s.

A1 on silverware is a quality grade of silver electroplate, not a purity mark. It indicates the maker applied a full, heavier-than-basic deposit of silver over a base metal such as nickel silver. The piece is silverplated, not solid silver, so it has little melt value.

Vermeil is sterling silver coated with gold. Under US FTC rules, a piece may be described as vermeil only if the base is sterling silver and the gold layer is at least 2.5 microns thick and at least 10 karats. Unlike ordinary plating over brass, the whole piece is precious metal.

PT950 stamped on a ring means the metal is 95% pure platinum, alloyed with 5% other metals such as ruthenium, iridium, or cobalt. It is the most common platinum standard for engagement and wedding rings worldwide, equivalent to marks reading Pt950, PLAT, or 950.

PD500 on jewelry means the piece is 50% palladium, a precious platinum-group metal. Palladium is marked by fineness — Pd500, Pd950, and Pd999 are the recognized standards — and 500 is the lowest of them. The piece is a genuine palladium alloy, lighter and usually less costly than platinum.

The word STERLING stamped on jewelry means the metal is sterling silver — at least 92.5% pure silver alloyed with copper. It is the traditional American and Canadian equivalent of the numeric 925 mark, common on North American pieces from the mid-1800s onward. Some items carry both, stamped STERLING 925.

Nickel silver stamped on flatware means the piece is a base-metal alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc that contains no silver at all — the name refers only to its silvery color. Also called German silver or alpacca, it is the metal commonly used as the core underneath silverplate.

CZ stamped inside a ring stands for cubic zirconia, a lab-made diamond simulant. The mark describes the stone, not the metal: it discloses that the ring is set with cubic zirconia rather than diamond. A separate stamp such as 925 or 14K identifies the metal itself.

PLAT stamped on a ring means it is made of platinum. Under US FTC guidance, an unqualified PLAT or PLATINUM mark requires at least 95% pure platinum — the same standard as PT950. The abbreviation is common on American and British rings, especially engagement rings from the early 20th century.

The 'Swiss Made' label on a watch dial means the watch meets strict legal criteria defined by Swiss law: the movement must be Swiss, the movement must be cased up in Switzerland, and at least 60% of manufacturing costs must be incurred in Switzerland.

A 'Water Resist' or 'Water Resistant' marking on a watch means it has some degree of protection against water ingress, but the level of protection varies enormously depending on the specific rating (30m, 50m, 100m, 200m, etc.).

The word 'Automatic' on a watch dial means the watch is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement that converts the natural motion of your wrist into energy to drive the watch, eliminating the need for a battery or daily hand winding.

The words 'Stainless Steel Back' (or 'Stainless Steel Case Back') on a watch mean that only the case back is made of stainless steel, while the rest of the case may be made of a different, often less durable material such as brass, zinc alloy, or plated base metal.

The label 'Sapphire Crystal' on a watch means the glass covering the dial is made from synthetic sapphire — one of the hardest transparent materials available, rated 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. It is extremely resistant to scratching.

A 10 ATM rating on a watch means it is water resistant to a static pressure equivalent of 100 meters (330 feet). In practical terms, a 10 ATM watch is suitable for swimming, snorkeling, and water sports but not for scuba diving.

The word 'Chronograph' on a watch means it has a built-in stopwatch function — the ability to measure elapsed time independently of the regular timekeeping, using dedicated pushers and sub-dials on the dial face.

The marking 'Japan Movement' (or 'Japan Movt') on a watch means the timekeeping mechanism inside was manufactured in Japan, typically by Seiko (Epson/TMI), Citizen (Miyota), or Casio. The rest of the watch may have been assembled elsewhere.

The word 'Quartz' on a watch dial means the watch is powered by a battery-driven quartz crystal movement rather than a mechanical (hand-wound or automatic) movement. Quartz watches are significantly more accurate than mechanical watches.

RGP on a watch stands for 'rolled gold plate' — a layer of real gold mechanically bonded to a base metal case, thicker and more durable than electroplating but thinner than gold filled. Marks like '10K RGP' are common on mid-century American watches from Bulova, Elgin, and Waltham.