hallmark decoder.

9K gold

37.5% gold

common in the UK and Europe. durable and affordable, but under half gold. the rest is alloy.

10K gold

41.7% gold

the traditional minimum for gold jewelry in the united states. hard-wearing, popular for everyday and men's pieces.

14K gold

58.5% gold

the workhorse of us fine jewelry, balancing gold content, durability, and price. sometimes stamped 583 on older pieces.

18K gold

75% gold

the luxury standard. rich colour and high gold content, softer than 14k. the default for european and designer fine jewelry.

21K gold

87.5% gold

common across the middle east and south asia, where higher gold content is prized for bridal and investment pieces.

22K gold

91.6% gold

traditional for indian and asian gold jewelry. deep yellow and very soft, usually reserved for pieces worn occasionally.

24K gold

99.9% gold

pure gold. too soft for most jewelry, so mostly bullion, bars, and coins. 990 is mainland china's 'chuk kam' pure gold grade; in hong kong, chuk kam means 999.

8K gold

33.3% gold

a low-karat standard found mostly on german and central-european jewelry. below the lowest UK gold hallmark (375).

sterling silver

92.5% silver

the global standard for silver jewelry. 92.5% silver with 7.5% alloy (usually copper) for strength. also written 'sterling'.

800 silver

80% silver

a continental european standard, common on older german, italian, and swiss pieces. slightly less silver than sterling.

835 silver

83.5% silver

a european silver standard often seen on vintage german and dutch jewelry and flatware.

coin silver

90% silver

historically made from melted coins. common on antique american and european pieces from before sterling was standard.

britannia silver

95.8% silver

a higher purity than sterling, used for premium british silver. softer, so less common in everyday jewelry.

fine silver

99.9% silver

nearly pure silver. bright and soft, used for bullion, some artisan pieces, and enamel work. note: 999 also means 24k for gold.

950 platinum

95% platinum

the standard for platinum fine jewelry. dense, hypoallergenic, and naturally white, with no rhodium plating needed. often stamped 'plat'.

900 platinum

90% platinum

90% platinum, common in vintage and some japanese pieces. note: 900 also appears as a silver mark, so check the 'pt' prefix.

850 platinum

85% platinum

the lowest fineness usually marked as platinum. seen on some settings and chains where extra strength is wanted.

950 palladium

95% palladium

a lighter, naturally white platinum-group metal. hallmarked pd950 or pd500. an affordable white-metal alternative to platinum.

500 palladium

50% palladium

an entry-level palladium standard, half palladium and half alloy. less common than pd950, seen on some lighter or lower-cost white-metal pieces.

gold plated

base metal + thin gold layer

a microscopic layer of gold over a base metal. almost no gold weight and no scrap value. 'gep' means gold electroplated.

gold filled

5% gold by weight, bonded

a thick, mechanically bonded gold layer, far more durable than plating. the mark shows the fraction and karat, e.g. '1/20 14K GF'. still not solid gold.

rolled gold plate

thin bonded gold layer

a thinner cousin of gold filled: a bonded gold layer, but less of it. common on vintage watches and costume pieces.

heavy gold electroplate

base metal + electroplated gold

electroplated gold, marketed as 'heavy'. despite an '18K HGE' stamp, the piece is plated base metal, not solid gold.

gold vermeil

sterling silver + thick gold plating

sterling silver with a thick gold plate (at least 2.5 microns, 10k+). the best of the plated options, with solid silver underneath, so it has real melt value.

silver plated

base metal + thin silver layer

electroplated nickel silver: a thin silver coat over base metal, no sterling content. 'ep' means the same. no scrap value.