Identify Jewelry Marks on Gold Jewelry

All real gold jewelry is marked with letters and numbers which reflect the quantity of gold in the piece, i.e., the gold content. The marks can be found on pins, bracelets, rings, necklaces and earrings. For the most part, these marks can be read with the help of a magnifying glass. In some cases, where the marks are small, a jeweler=s loupe may be necessary. Sometimes the marks can even be hard to find on a piece. In that case, look first on the back, where the mark is most commonly found. If you don=t fine it there, try looking under the pin on a brooch, on the clasp, or on the edges of the piece. Keep in mind that depending on how you are holding the piece, it may be hard to identify the mark, because you are looking at it upside down.

Gold filled jewelry is marked with fractions of numbers. The most common ones are 1/20 12k gf or 1/20 10k gf. The marks indicate the quantity of the gold that is layered over a base metal core. Keep in mind that quality vintage costume jewelry was often gold filled. With the price of gold rising, antique pieces, which have value because of their age, now have some additional value because of the quantity of gold, albeit minimal.

Gold-plated jewelry is often marked with the letters HGE, which stands for high gold electroplate. Vintage jewelry is marked RGP for rolled gold plate. Gold overlay on sterling is called vermeil (pronounced ver may). The escalated price of gold has seen many jewelry companies Aswitching@ from producing everything in gold carat to production in vermeil. Vermeil is very commonly found in vintage jewelry. Sometimes gold-plating is referred to as gold wash over sterling.

Rings are often marked 14K HGE. This can be misleading, because it absolutely does not have the value of fine gold jewelry. The way you can be sure that the gold you are buying is real, is to make sure that the piece is marked 24k, 22k, 18k, 14k or 10k. to be sure that the jewelry is gold and not gold plated. You are never likely to see 24k on a pierce, because it=s too soft to be crafted in jewelry. Don=t be dismayed if your jewelry is stamped 14kp. What that means is Aplum gold,@ which is equivalent 14k gold.

Some jewelry that comes from overseas is marked in decimals from the country of origin. Ten karat gold jewelry, for example, may be marked .417, 14k may be marked .583 and 18k may be marked .750. They are exact equivalents of how we mark jewelry in this country and are no less valuable. These numbers are the decimal equivalent of the percent of gold in the piece. Markings such as these are often overlooked, so an educated buyer can sometimes get a real bargain.

Of course there are unscrupulous manufacturers who mismark pieces. That is another reason to buy from a reputable jeweler who, like Kingston Fine Jewelry, will stand behind the pieces they sell and who themselves only buy from reputable wholesalers.