How to Identify Gold Jewelry by Number Marks

A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow may be your dream, but finding karat gold at collectibles malls, flea markets, or garage sales is more realistic. Many shoppers pass up great precious metals jewelry because they do not know costume jewelry from fine jewelry. You can learn the difference! 24k is pure gold, not used for jewelry without alloys.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• gold or goldtone jewelry
• a loupe or magnifier
• maybe an acid gold scratch test kit or an electronic tester

1. 
    
   Rings are often gold jewelry

   LOCATE some jewelry to check, and use the magnifier or loupe to examine the back, clasp, edge, and wire. Remember that 24k is solid gold, too soft and maleable to use for jewelry without other metals.

2. 
    
   Not all gold is yellow. White gold looks like silver.

   LOOK for a mark on the inside of the gold item. American jewelry is often marked by karat, stamped into the inside of a ring or bracelet, on the edge of earrings and the back of a charm. If the jewelry is marked 10k, that is the minimum mark used today in the United States. There is old gold on the market that is not stamped, and it is often 9k, still valuable and can be sold as jewelry or scrap. 14k is common for American gold, and 18k is not quite as common, but more valuable.

3. 
    
   Gold bracelets are common, and marks are tiny.

   COMPARE any marks you find with the following number marks. Foreign gold is often marked with a number. 9k gold is .375 and 10k is .417. 14k is .585 and 18k is .750. If you see any of these numbers, be aware that this may be gold. Silver numbers are discussed in another article, but know that if it is marked .800, .835, .900 or .925, it is most likely a silver piece of jewelry or jewellery, as it is often spelled in Europe.

4. LOOK carefully at quality pieces of jewelry that have an unusual clasp, or have a safety chain or hook. Often, these are precious metals pieces. If you find jewelry with brand names, you can check the name on the internet, but these are most often quality costume jewelry. Names like Monet and Napier are usually costume jewelry, and have been around for many years.
   
   Your best luck will probably be in finding foreign gold with a number. Not a lot of shops know that this is gold.

Tips & Warnings

• Carry a loupe and magnifier when you shop. Flea markets and collectibles malls often have precious metals jewelry. Thrift shops are a great source, too.
• Gold can be silver colored, too. White gold can be found identified as silver in thrift shops, collectibles and antique malls.
• copyright 2009 Linda Richard
• If you use a gold test kit, remember this is an acid and can damage anything it touches. Also, scratch testing gold jewelry may decrease the value for anything but scrap. If you get serious about finding gold, you will probably need an electronic gold tester.

Resources

• Identifying Silver Jewelry
• Use an Electronic Gold Tester
• Contact Us
• Fun Jewelry for Sale

[unclepaul]

on 12/4/2009 Thanx for the valuable information. Best explanation Iv'e seen in 30+ years.

[karileighk]

on 7/6/2009 Looking for markings and comparing is a must. Thanks.

[sonni57]

on 7/4/2009 Good article on gold and jewelry I'm not good at this.