How to Identify Gold Marks

Gold marks may contain valuable information about a piece of gold.

Whether you are shopping for, investing in, collecting, or selling gold jewelry, it will help to know what certain marks on the gold jewelry mean. Although not all gold jewelry is hallmarked -- because of hallmarking laws introduced in 1973 -- most gold jewelry produced in the United States now contains, at least a purity stamp.

Things You'll Need

• Jeweler's loupe or magnifying glass
• Jewelry polishing cloth

Instructions

1. Gently wipe down the hallmark stamp area on the jewelry, coin, or gold item with the polishing side of the jewelry polishing cloth.

2. Look at the hallmark, using the jeweler's loupe or magnifying glass.

3. Write down the gold purity mark and any other hallmarks that you see.

4. Note what each hallmark purity stamp means, and what each hallmark pictorial drawing refers to.

   14k or 14kt is one of the most common. It means that the gold jewelry item is 58.3 percent pure gold, and the remainder is an alloyed metal, perhaps silver, nickel, or copper.

   Another common one is 10k or 10kt for ten karat gold, which is 41.7 percent pure gold, and the remainder of the jewelry item comprises alloy metals.

Tips & Warnings

• Check some gold hallmark reference books. If your gold jewelry, coin, or other gold item has purity hallmarks that are uncommon, you will also need to refer to the links provided in the reference section.

• The higher the gold content in a gold item, the softer the item will be. That is why 10 karat or 14 karat gold is often used more than 18 karat or pure 24 karat gold.

References

• Simple Gold Hallmark Guide
• Welcome, to Antique Jewelry Investor!

Resources

• Hallmarks on Period Jewelry
• Jewelry Metal Information