Decode a jewelry stamp
Enter the mark exactly as stamped. Combined marks are read token by token, so 14K HGE is plated, not solid 14K, and 1/20 12K GF is gold-filled.
Informational only. This tool explains common quality stamps. It is not a certified appraisal or assay. Stamps can be worn, faked, or used on mixed constructions.
How combined stamps are read
A karat or millesimal number describes fineness. Words such as GF, RGP, GP, GEP, HGE or vermeil describe how that gold is applied. The decoder reads left to right and lets the construction mark override a solid-metal reading.
- 585 or 14K alone → solid 14K-range gold.
- 14KP → solid 14K plumb gold (full karat, not plated).
- 14K HGE → 14K-colour heavy gold electroplate (plated, not solid).
- 1/20 12K GF → gold-filled: about 1/20 of the metal weight is 12K gold.
- 925 / STER → solid sterling silver. 84 → Russian 875 silver.
Gold karat and millesimal equivalents
| Karat | Parts per 1000 | Purity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8K | 333 | 33.3% | Low-karat gold used in some countries; below the usual US 10K gold-marking threshold |
| 9K | 375 | 37.5% | Common UK / Commonwealth minimum |
| 10K | 417 | 41.7% | Typical US minimum for a gold quality mark (10/24 ≈ 416.7) |
| 14K | 583 or 585 | 58.3–58.5% | 14/24 = 583; Europe usually stamps 585 |
| 18K / K18 | 750 | 75.0% | K18 is the usual Japanese / East Asian prefix style |
| 22K | 916 | 91.6% | High-karat jewelry standard |
| 24K | 999 | 99.9% | Fine gold; a bare 999 can also mean fine silver |
KP (karat plumb) means the piece is intended to meet the full named karat. CT and KT are the same karat idea as K. None of these letters mean plated by themselves.
Gold filled, plated and vermeil (FTC Jewelry Guides)
US quality-mark language for gold coatings is set out in the FTC Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR Part 23. Thresholds below are the Guides' usual non-deceptive minimums, not an assay of your item.
- Gold filled (GF): mechanically applied gold alloy of at least 10K that is generally at least 1/20 of the article's metal weight, unless a different fraction is stamped.
- Rolled gold plate (RGP) / gold overlay: mechanical gold layer, generally at least 1/40 by weight; the fraction should be shown when it is under 1/20.
- Gold electroplate (GEP / GE / GP): electrolytic gold of at least 10K and at least 0.175 microns of fine-gold equivalent.
- Heavy gold electroplate (HGE / HGP): electrolytic gold at least 2.5 microns of fine-gold equivalent. Still plating, not solid gold.
- Vermeil: sterling silver coated with gold of at least 10K and at least 2.5 microns of fine-gold equivalent (16 CFR §23.4).
Silver stamps
Silver meanings here match our silver purity marks guide. Numeric marks such as 925, 800, 835, 958, 999 and 84 are solid silver. EPNS, EP and A1 are plate. German silver, nickel silver and alpaca contain no silver.
For British symbolic hallmarks (lion passant, assay offices, date letters), use the silver hallmarks guide and the UK date letter finder.
Stamp reference table
Full catalogue used by the decoder. This table is part of the page HTML so it can be read without JavaScript.
| Stamp | Meaning | Purity % | Parts per 1000 | Karat | Region | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8K / 333 | 8K gold (333 millesimal) | 33.3% | 333/1000 | 8K | Parts of Europe (historic and some modern low-karat gold) | Solid |
| 9K / 375 | 9K gold (375 millesimal) | 37.5% | 375/1000 | 9K | United Kingdom, Australia, and some other Commonwealth markets | Solid |
| 10K / 417 | 10K gold (417 millesimal) | 41.7% | 417/1000 | 10K | United States (common minimum) / International | Solid |
| 12K / 500 | 12K gold (500 millesimal) | 50.0% | 500/1000 | 12K | United States / International | Solid |
| 14K / 583 / 585 | 14K gold (583 millesimal) | 58.3% | 583/1000 | 14K | United States / International | Solid |
| 14KP | 14K plumb gold | 58.3% | 583/1000 | 14K | United States | Solid |
| 585 | 14K gold (585 millesimal) | 58.5% | 585/1000 | 14K | Europe / International | Solid |
| 18K / 750 / K18 | 18K gold (750 millesimal) | 75.0% | 750/1000 | 18K | Europe, Japan, Middle East, International | Solid |
| 22K / 916 | 22K gold (916 millesimal) | 91.6% | 916/1000 | 22K | South Asia, Middle East, International | Solid |
| 24K / 999 (gold) | 24K gold (fine gold) | 99.9% | 999/1000 | 24K | International | Solid |
| 999 / .999 | Fine silver / pure silver | 99.9% | 999/1000 | — | International | Solid |
| 958 / Britannia | Britannia silver | 95.8% | 958/1000 | — | United Kingdom | Solid |
| 925 / STER / STERLING | Sterling silver | 92.5% | 925/1000 | — | United States / International | Solid |
| 900 / COIN | Coin silver / continental 900 | 90.0% | 900/1000 | — | United States (pre-1850s coin silver) / Europe / South America | Solid |
| 875 | 875 silver (Soviet/Russian metric) | 87.5% | 875/1000 | — | Russia / USSR / Eastern Europe | Solid |
| 84 (zolotnik) | 84 zolotnik Russian silver | 87.5% | 875/1000 | — | Imperial Russia | Solid |
| 88 (zolotnik) | 88 zolotnik Russian silver | 91.6% | 916/1000 | — | Imperial Russia | Solid |
| 91 (zolotnik) | 91 zolotnik Russian silver | 94.7% | 947/1000 | — | Imperial Russia | Solid |
| 835 | 835 silver (German / Swiss) | 83.5% | 835/1000 | — | Germany / Switzerland / Austria | Solid |
| 830 | 830 silver (Scandinavian) | 83.0% | 830/1000 | — | Denmark / Norway / Sweden | Solid |
| 800 | 800 silver (European) | 80.0% | 800/1000 | — | Germany / Italy / Austria / Portugal | Solid |
| EPNS | Electroplated nickel silver | n/a | n/a | — | International | Plated |
| EP / E.P. | Electroplate | n/a | n/a | — | International | Plated |
| A1 | A1 quality silver plate | n/a | n/a | — | United Kingdom / International | Plated |
| Silver Plate | Silver plate | n/a | n/a | — | International | Plated |
| Sheffield Plate | Sheffield fused plate | n/a | n/a | — | United Kingdom (c. 1740s–1840s) | Plated |
| German Silver | German silver (no silver) | 0% | 0/1000 | — | Germany / United States / International | Not Precious Metal |
| Nickel Silver | Nickel silver (no silver) | 0% | 0/1000 | — | International | Not Precious Metal |
| Alpaca | Alpaca (nickel silver alloy) | 0% | 0/1000 | — | South America / Europe | Not Precious Metal |
| Nevada Silver | Nevada Silver (alloy name) | 0% | 0/1000 | — | United States | Not Precious Metal |
| PT950 / 950PT | Platinum 950 | 95.0% | 950/1000 | — | International | Solid |
| PT900 / 900PT | Platinum 900 | 90.0% | 900/1000 | — | Japan / International | Solid |
| PLAT / PLATINUM | Platinum | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International | Solid |
| Pd950 | Palladium 950 | 95.0% | 950/1000 | — | International | Solid |
| Pd500 | Palladium 500 | 50.0% | 500/1000 | — | International | Solid |
| 316L / stainless | Stainless steel (316L) | 0% | 0/1000 | — | International | Not Precious Metal |
| Ti / titanium | Titanium | 0% | 0/1000 | — | International | Not Precious Metal |
| CZ | Cubic zirconia (stone mark) | n/a | n/a | — | International | Not Precious Metal |
| GF | Gold filled | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International (FTC 16 CFR Part 23) | Gold-filled |
| RGP | Rolled gold plate | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International (FTC 16 CFR Part 23) | Plated |
| GP | Gold plate | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International (FTC 16 CFR Part 23) | Plated |
| GEP | Gold electroplate | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International (FTC 16 CFR Part 23) | Plated |
| GE | Gold electroplate (GE) | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International (FTC 16 CFR Part 23) | Plated |
| HGE | Heavy gold electroplate | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International (FTC 16 CFR Part 23) | Plated |
| VERMEIL | Vermeil (gold over sterling) | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International (FTC 16 CFR Part 23) | Plated |
| 1/10 | Gold weight ratio (gold-filled) | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International | Gold-filled |
| 1/20 | Gold weight ratio (gold-filled) | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International | Gold-filled |
| 1/30 | Gold weight ratio (plated) | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International | Plated |
| 1/40 | Gold weight ratio (plated) | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International | Plated |
| 1/50 | Gold weight ratio (plated) | n/a | n/a | — | United States / International | Plated |
Can't read the stamp?
Photograph the mark with the Antique ID app for a broader identification and a research value range.
Scan it with Antique IDFrequently asked questions
14K means the alloy is 14 parts gold out of 24, about 58.3% gold (583/1000). Continental pieces are often stamped 585 instead. 14KP means karat plumb: a full 14K, not the older under-karat tolerance. If 14K is followed by HGE, GP or GF, it describes a gold layer, not solid 14K.
585 is the usual European millesimal mark for 14-karat gold: 585 parts gold per 1000 (58.5%). Theoretical 14/24 is 583; 585 is the stamped equivalent. It indicates solid 14K-range gold unless a plate or filled mark appears with it.
925, .925, STER and STERLING all mean sterling silver: 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metal, usually copper. These marks indicate solid sterling, not silver plate. EPNS, EP and A1 are plate.
14K HGE is not solid 14K gold. HGE means heavy gold electroplate. The 14K refers to the colour or fineness of a thin electrolytic gold layer. Under the FTC Jewelry Guides (16 CFR Part 23), heavy gold electroplate is at least 2.5 microns of fine-gold equivalent — still plating, not a solid-gold item.
1/20 12K GF means gold filled: a mechanically bonded 12K gold layer that is about 1/20 of the article's metal weight. The FTC Jewelry Guides (16 CFR Part 23) generally treat gold filled as at least 1/20 by weight in gold of at least 10K. It is not solid gold, but it is much thicker than electroplate.
84 is a Russian zolotnik purity mark for solid silver at 87.5% (875/1000). In the Imperial system, 84 zolotniks of silver per 96 zolotniks total equals 875 parts per thousand. It is not 8.4K gold. The metric equivalent is 875, common on later Soviet and Russian silver.
EPNS stands for electroplated nickel silver. The item is not solid silver. The base is a copper-nickel-zinc alloy with a thin silver electroplate, so it has little or no precious-metal melt value. German silver, nickel silver and alpaca contain no silver at all.
No. Results are informational only and are not a certified appraisal or assay. Stamps can be worn, faked, or used on mixed constructions. For insurance, estate or legal purposes, have the piece tested by a qualified assayer or appraiser. You can also identify an antique from a photo with Antique ID as a research starting point.
Related resources
Sources
Public standards and freely licensed references. Gold-filled, plated and vermeil thresholds follow the FTC Jewelry Guides:
- Federal Trade Commission, Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries, 16 CFR Part 23 (gold filled 1/20; rolled gold plate 1/40; gold electroplate 0.175 µm; heavy gold electroplate 2.5 µm; vermeil at §23.4)
- UK Hallmarking Act 1973 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Identify Antiques Silver Purity Marks guide (925, 800, 835, 958, 999, 84 zolotnik, EPNS)
- Vienna Convention on the Control of the Fineness and the Hallmarking of Precious Metal Objects (1972)