Marks Stamped Inside Rings
You may have noticed that most rings have different stamps that summarize valuable information about their quality and characteristics. Knowing their meaning is something very easy to learn and is useful for suppliers and above all for the consumer.
If you still don’t know the meaning of these stamps and it would be useful for you to know them. In this basic guide we will explain everything you need to know about them.
Context about the marks stamped inside the rings
The marks stamped inside the rings serve to describe the basic properties of a piece of jewelry, usually this information includes:
- Type of metal
- Purity level of the metal
- Carat weight of the diamond
- Carat weight of the center gemstone
- Weight of side diamonds
- Brand signature: Supplier, retailer, designer or patent.
In this way, a supplier can quickly identify from a large group of rings which ones have a certain level of quality. Likewise, if a customer knows how to interpret them, this information is useful for a potential secondary trade.
It is important to note that there is no universal standard for seals and although there are quite popular conceptions, many brands have their own standard.
With respect to signatures, there are an almost unlimited number of them, so it is normal that some stamps are very difficult to identify, even though there are extensive databases on the web dedicated solely for this purpose.
Metal identification by ring stamp
The type and purity level of the metal are one of the most common hallmarks on rings, in fact, you can easily recognize them on almost all fine jewelry products.
Among the most common metal hallmarks are Platinum (PT — PLAT), Sterling Silver (Sterling — 925 — .950) and Gold ([9–24]Kt).
Other “alternative” metals may also include hallmarks, such as: Titanium (Titanium), Tungsten (Tungsten), (Palladium: Pd — Pall) and Stainless Steel (S.S. — St — Steel).
If the base metal of a jewel is not gold, but gold plated, then the hallmark will include the abbreviations GP (Gold Plated), otherwise it will be GF (Gold Field).
Carat weight of the metal
Gold rings are usually stamped directly on the metal with the karat purity level. As you may know, pure gold is very beautiful, but too soft to be used in jewelry. To give the metal durability and strength, it is combined with other alloys.
Pure gold is composed of 24 parts. Following this idea:
- 24 karat gold is 100% gold without other metals (24/24).
- 20 karat gold is 83.33% gold with the rest of other metals (20/24).
- 18 karat gold is 75% gold with the rest of other metals (18/24).
- 14 karat gold is 58.33% gold with the rest of other metals (14/24).
In most cases, any number between 10–24 followed by “K” “kt” or “Kts” refers to the gold and its purity level respectively. Another way to express it is by using the percentage followed by a period (.), ie:
- .833 for 20-karat gold
- .750 for 18 karat gold
- .583 for 14 karat gold
Very high levels such as .995 and .925 are usually a reference for silver.
Weight of center gems
The weight of the center gems (and sometimes good-sized side diamonds) is another very common hallmark of rings. It is expressed with a period (.) followed by the weight of the gem in carats.
Some hallmarks include a call sign such as:
- cw: Carat Weight
- ct: Carat
- tdc: Total diamond Carat
If you get a piece of jewelry that says .55cw it means that it has a 55 carat diamond or center stone. Sometimes, to avoid condition, it is considered appropriate to add other abbreviations such as “CZ” which represents a recognized indication of Cubic Zirconite, a gemstone very similar to diamond.
Marks of manufacturer, artisan, distributor and patents
Accompanying the stamps describing the type of metal, the purity of the alloy and the weight of the gemstones are the signatures. These can range from the initials of the manufacturer and distributor to a symbol that identifies a brand.
These hallmarks make it possible to trace the origin of the jewelry back to its source, designer or retailer. If a brand is known worldwide, its hallmark adds value to the jewelry because it is understood to be of quality.
Some stamps of small suppliers, debut designers, growing brands, unregistered suppliers and old, non-existent brands are very difficult to identify.
Legal conditions on the use of trademarks in jewelry
In the world of fine jewelry, there are a large number of legal regulations in addition to individual supplier commitments to ethical mining and materials made free of conflict zones.
In the case of diamond jewelry even more so. But curiously, regulations on stamps are very lax, in many cases not even mandatory.
In addition, many jewelers handle their own standards, so that the stamps become very varied.
Making a grand summary, the legal obligations on stamps in the United States boil down to three:
1. The characteristics of the product must be clearly disclosed to the customer. This requires a detailed and signed appraisal, a label affixed to the product or a stamp.
2. If it is decided to stamp a piece of jewelry, the brand’s stamp must be included as a way of guaranteeing that they are responsible for the primary trade of that piece of jewelry.
3. Hallmarks are mandatory for gold, silver and platinum jewelry.
Reliability of hallmarks stamped on metals
Can you blindly rely on hallmarks as guarantees of authenticity and quality? The short answer is NO, but let’s look a bit at why.
Stamps can be removed over time, if the jewelry is abused, polished or coated with metal. Also, anyone with the necessary tools can imprint a new stamp.
Branded signatures are much more difficult to forge, but that does not mean that other parts of the jewelry (such as the center diamond) have not been replaced by worthless imitations.
Remember that brands cease to be trusted the moment they leave the primary trade (from supplier or retailer to customer) and enter the secondary trade (auctions, pawnbrokers, unlicensed markets or private individuals).
To prevent a scam, purchase your jewelry from a responsible and recognized supplier, through legal channels that guarantee the authenticity and ethical origin of your materials, in that context you can count on our advice and services.
If you still decide to venture into secondary trade, the most responsible thing to do is to have your jewelry appraised by a professional.
Source, reference and more information:
Other topics that might interest you:
