The Story Behind Jewelry Marks
In the 14th century, English King Edward I instituted a statute requiring that all gold and silver jewelry be tested for standards of authentisity at the headquarters of the Guild of Goldsmiths before they could be sold. If approved, an item was struck with a mark as a guarantee of quality. Over time, marks were added to signify the date, place of origin and the designer's trademark. Though never intended as such, hallmarks are a critical tool in the identification and dating of antique jewelry.
Gold-filled:
A mark of '1/20 10K G.F.' refers to a gold filled article that consists of 10 karat gold for 1/20th of its total weight.
Gold and Silver electroplate:
The quality marks for gold plated indicate that an article has been electroplated with gold of at least 10 karats. The quality marks for silver plated indicate that an article has been electroplated with silver of at least 92.5% purity. There is no minimum thickness required for silver plated or gold plated articles. Many rings are stamped H.G.E or H.S.E.
Silver:
Silver, sterling, sterling silver, argent, argent sterling, abbreviations of these terms, 925, 92.5, .925.
Platinum:
The quality marks for platinum are applied to articles composed of at least 95 percent platinum, 95 percent platinum and iridium, or 95 percent platinum and ruthenium. You will usually see marks 10% IRID PLAT.
Gold:
Gold is measured in karats, with 24 karats being 24/24ths gold, or pure gold. A 10 karat gold item contains 10/24ths gold, a 12K item is 12/24ths gold, etc. The minimum allowable quality for karat gold is 9 karats. Karats are not to be confused with carats (ct.), which are a unit of gemstone mass. One carat weighs 0.2 gram (1/5 of a gram or 0.0007 ounce). A hundredth of a carat is called a point. Recognizable stamps are: 10K or 416. 12K or 500, 14K or 585, 18K or 750, 22K or 917.
