What Does 583 Mean on Gold?

The number 583 is a millesimal fineness mark indicating 58.3% pure gold, with the balance made up of copper, silver, and other alloying metals. It corresponds to 14 karat gold (14/24 = 0.5833), and it was the dominant standard for gold jewelry in the Soviet Union.

The mark has clear historical roots. Imperial Russia measured fineness in zolotniks, where pure gold was 96 zolotniks; the common jewelry grade of 56 zolotniks converts to exactly 583 millesimal. When the USSR adopted the metric fineness system in 1927, 583 carried that traditional grade forward. Soviet hallmarks from 1958 onward pair the fineness number with a five-pointed star containing a hammer and sickle; earlier Soviet marks used a worker's head profile. After the USSR dissolved, Russia moved to the international 585 standard in the 1990s and revived the kokoshnik (a woman's head in profile) as the state hallmark.

A 583 stamp is therefore a useful dating and origin clue: it strongly suggests the piece was made in the Soviet Union or its successor states before the mid-1990s. Soviet gold jewelry often has a distinctive reddish tint from a copper-rich alloy recipe.

In value terms, 583 gold is effectively 14K. The 0.2% difference from 585 is negligible for melt purposes, and buyers price both the same way. Some Soviet-era pieces also attract collector interest, particularly items with clear hallmarks, original condition, and characteristic designs.

On rings, the 583 mark and the accompanying state hallmark are struck on the inside of the band. Earrings are marked on the post or the catch, necklaces and bracelets on the clasp or a link beside it, and watch cases on the case back or inside the lid.

Use a loupe: Soviet hallmarks are small and often struck close together — the star (or head profile) and the 583 may appear as a single combined punch or as two adjacent marks.