When you buy a ring, bracelet, or necklace, you may see many numbers engraved on them. Most people who are buying jewelry for the first time may wonder what these numbers are. You should note that the number engraved on jewelry has great significance because that indicates hallmark standards.
If you want to know more about the numbers on jewelry, keep on reading this article.
What Is Hallmark Standard?
The hallmark is the indication of the precious metal content in a piece of jewelry. Since the 14th century, many countries in Europe have started using the karat stamp. The hallmarks were only adopted in the United States in the early part of the 20th century. To mark the purity percentage of the metal, the European jewelry was engraved with a three-digit number. On the other hand, the jewelry in the United States uses 10K, 14K, and 18K hallmarks. Almost all the jewelry these days is sold with hallmark numbers.
Gold, silver, and platinum are the three major precious metals that are sold worldwide. Each of them has different types of markings too. The gold marking is the indication of the percentage of gold in a piece of jewelry. It is measured against a 24-karat standard. If you bought a piece of 24-karat gold jewelry, it means that it is made up of 24 parts gold.
“Sterling” is the definitive marking for fine jewelry of silver. This means that the jewelry is .925 pure silver and also contains minimal base metals. Silver jewelry is commonly marked 925. If you see a 900 stamp on a piece of silver jewelry, it means that the jewelry is 9 parts silver and 1 part other metals.
When compared to gold, platinum is rare and more expensive. If you see “Plat” or “950 Plat” engraved in platinum jewelry, it means that it is pure platinum. If “IridPlat” is engraved in the platinum jewelry, it means that it is 90% platinum and 10% other metals.
Final Thoughts
You need to make sure that you only buy jewelry that is marked. If you come across a piece of unmarked jewelry and want to know the purity of it, seek the help of a reputable jeweler. If you see 11:11 engraved on a piece of jewelry, understand that it is not an indication of purity. 11 11 jewelry is very popular among people who believe that numbers can bring luck. Therefore, make sure the jewelry has hallmark standards engraved on them before you buy it.