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Admin
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August 15, 2024
Have you ever seen symbols stamped on your jewelry? maybe you've seen an 18K or a 10K stamped on your gold necklace. Well, those help you understand the value of gold pieces. These Karat markings or letter abbreviations will help you gain the knowledge that is necessary to buy, sell, trade, or even pawn gold jewelry pieces. We want you to get gold for a fair and reasonable price.
A karat is a unit of measurement for the purity of gold. Pure gold is 24 karats (24K), and the karat value indicates how many parts out of 24 are pure gold. For example, 18-karat gold is 18 parts gold and 6 parts other metals. You can also think about it in the form of percentages:
If you ever forget the percentages there is a simple formula that will help you figure them out: Divide the karat number by 24 (the total number of karats possible) and multiply the result by 100. For example, 18 divided by 24 is 0.75, multiply that by 100 and you get 75%. 75% of the piece is gold. This is a very quick and simple way to find out the gold content.
There are advantages and disadvantages to every number of karats. You will want to think about, the durability, the color, the feel/weight of the jewelry, and any allergies you might have. 18K jewelry is not recommended for day-to-day use as the high amount of gold in it makes it much more delicate than the 14K. The 14K is recommended for durability while still maintaining that ritzy look and feel. If you are looking for a yellow color you will want 18K or 14K, for a rose gold the 10K is perfect. The 9K is not very good colorwise, it can be a nice rose gold but due to the high amounts of copper it usually just turns red. If you have any metal allergies you will want to avoid the 9K and 10K the 14K is usually fine for allergies as it doesn't contain many common allergens. Finally, if you are looking for earrings you will want something with less gold, it will be lighter and much easier to wear. For rings and necklaces, you will want a higher gold content for a more expensive feel. Now that you know what the number of karats means, and that a higher gold content doesn't always mean it is the best option. You are ready to take the next step: knowing what the symbols stamped on jewelry mean.
For rings, the stamp will be on the inside of the band, and for necklaces, the stamp will be on or near the clasp. If you cannot find stamps on your jewelry it doesn't mean it is not gold. Instead, it could mean that the stamp faded or maybe the jewelry was made before the jewelry stamp laws were passed. The first law requiring stamps on gold jewelry was passed in 1906 and revised again in 1961 and 1981. Continually changing to become more specific on what needs to be included in the stamp. The jewelry stamp law helps lessen the chances of someone getting scammed into buying fake or overpriced cheap gold. Again, If you can't find a stamp it doesn't mean it's not gold. You can always have a professional appraise it. But, if you do have a stamp on your pieces you can use this guide to find out what the symbols stamped on jewelry mean.
Some stamps are very straightforward using only a number followed by a K (18k) Some include letters. For example, a piece might say, ‘GE’, ‘GP’, or ‘HGE’. ‘GP’ (gold plated) and ‘GE’ (gold electroplated) both mean that the jewelry is gold electroplated with little gold content. ‘HGE’ means heavily gold electroplated which means it's a little more valuable than just ‘GE’ and ‘GP’ but still not as valuable as gold filled. A gold-filled (GF) stamp means that the piece is gold-filled which is much more valuable than a gold-plated piece. Another stamp is RGP which means rolled gold plate, this is when the gold is bonded to another metal. The gold content in an ‘RGP’ is higher than in the ‘GE’ or ‘GP’ but still lower than ‘GF’
Some stamps have only three numbers and no letters. If you have a piece of jewelry that has three numbers like 417 it can be translated to a percentage, 41.7% simply move the decimal one point to the left. The percentage you get is the percentage of gold in that piece so 41.7% of gold would be a 10K piece.
Sometimes jewelers will combine the three numbers along with letters like ‘GE’ or ‘P’ to tell the buyers everything they need to know about the jewelry. For example, ‘GF’ and 14K on a piece would mean that it is gold-filled with 14 karats of gold. So, the next time you're out buying gold jewelry pay attention to the stamps, they will help you decide whether something is worth purchasing. Although you should always consider your style when buying jewelry, don't just purchase it for the value.
One last symbol to look out for is the ‘P’ symbol. Jewelry makers are allowed to go up or down .5 on the karat number, for example, a 10K piece is more likely to be 9.5K as most jewelers round up. But, if you see a stamp with a ‘P’ you will know that that stands for Plumb. Plumb means that the karat number labeled is exactly what it is. It has not been rounded up or down.
Armed with this knowledge, you can confidently assess the value of jewelry. Whether you're purchasing a new piece or considering selling or pawning your own jewelry, understanding the meaning of the symbols stamped on jewelry is very important!
