Identification: diamond symbols stamped on jewelry

What Do the Diamond Symbols Stamped on Jewelry Mean?

You’ll likely notice something if you’re buying a gold plated ring, diamond jewelry, or any jewelry that incorporates precious metals or gemstones (or even cubic zirconia). Look your jewelry over long enough, and you’ll come across symbols stamped into the metal, often in an inconspicuous place, like inside a ring or on a necklace clasp.

So what do these symbols and stamps mean?? Are they worth your attention?

Here’s a diamond markings guide to explain what these tiny little marks on your engagement ring or other fine jewelry can tell you.

Interpreting the Symbols on a Diamond Ring (or Other Fine Jewelry)

You may notice a few different markings if you’re looking at a diamond ring or other jewelry.

The stamps you will see most often will be related to the metal type and purity, but there are other markings as well. If you see an outline of a diamond shape or diamond symbols stamped, this likely does not have to do with the center stone and is probably a trademark or hallmark. Trademarks identify the company or jeweler that created your piece and they come in many different styles.

On some occasions you might see stamps and inscription pertaining to the center stone. If you see marks stamped inside your ring that read, “CZ,” the ring features a cubic zirconia stone (not a diamond). “LG” will indicate that either the center or accent stones are lab grown. Occasionally, you might find that the center-stone’s gemological grading report number can be inscribed on the inside of the ring as well. If you see “SOL,”this means the diamond used in creating the piece was a solitaire diamond center stone. “CW” stands for “carat weight” and is followed by a series of numbers that coincide with that weight.

Precious Metal Stamps on Your Diamond Jewelry

However, you might find many different stamps on any given diamond piece, going far beyond the basic diamond shape stamp on jewelry pieces that contain gemstones. Whether looking at diamond engagement rings or any other kind of diamond jewelry, you’ll likely notice other jewelry stamps that tell you about the precious metals used to make the piece.

Silver Stamp Marks

If your diamond ring features a silver band, you can look out for these metal identification stamps to learn more about the silver used in the ring’s design.
“925” or “S Silver” means the band contains sterling silver. If you don’t see this mark, it likely means you have a piece of silver plated jewelry, not sterling silver jewelry.
Any number higher than 925 also means the band contains sterling silver.

Gold Stamp Marks

Similarly, if your band consists of yellow gold or white gold, you can find similar metal identification stamps, including:
“GF”: This means the band is gold filled.
“KP” or “P”: This indicator references plumb gold or pure gold and verifies that the karat weight stamped on the piece is 100% pure gold.
A karat stamp number between 9K and 24K tells you what karat gold you’re dealing with, from 9 to 24 karats. You may also see other numbers that indicate the same, including “.417,” which means 10 karats; “.585,” which indicates 14 karats; “.750,” which indicates 18 karats; or “.999,” which indicates 24 karats.
“GE”: This stands for “gold electroplated.”
“HGE”: This stands for “heavy gold electroplated.”

Other Common Jewelry Marks Stamped on Diamond Jewelry

But beyond diamond markings on jewelry and a ring stamp that tells you the band’s metal, there are so many other jewelry hallmarks and similar stamps that you might find on any piece of jewelry.

These include:

• Stamps that indicate the piece is custom jewelry
• Stamps that identify the maker or designer
• Stamps that indicate a patent
• Stamps that show a diamond’s grading according to its quality, cut, carat weight, and other factors
• Stamps that show a ring’s size

Diamond Marks on Jewelry: FAQs

Have more questions? We’ve got answers.

Are jewelry stamps always right?

No! Unfortunately, jewelry stamps can be fraudulent, tampered with, or even inadvertently incorrect. While you might want to rely on jewelry stamps to determine the total diamond weight of a piece, all other metals within the piece, and whether it includes natural diamonds or lab grown diamonds, the only way to be sure of details like these is to take the jewelry for inspection by a legitimate, qualified jeweler.

Can I test for a precious metal without looking at a marking?

Plenty of DIY methods exist to test precious metals and gemstones, like the float test for fake diamonds (a fake diamond floats, a real diamond sinks) and pure gold (again, the fake stuff floats, the real stuff sinks). However, DIY methods aren’t the most reliable. The most reliable method of determining your unmarked piece of jewelry’s internal makeup is to go to a reputable jeweler.

Do precious metals other than gold and silver have their own markings?

Yes! Platinum, for example, is signified with “PT,” “PLAT,” “900,” or “950.” Stainless steel can contain “SS,” “St. Steel,” or “Steel.” “PD” stands for “Palladium.”

Have jewelry stamps stayed the same throughout the years?

Not always. Jewelry stamps can differ according to the year of creation or country of origin. This makes it even more challenging to analyze heirloom jewelry on your own.

Interpreting a Diamond Shaped Stamp on Jewelry Can Be Difficult — Finding Diamond Insurance, on the Other Hand, is Easy

We’ve barely scratched the surface of all the stamps you could find on your jewelry and what they could mean. While cursory knowledge of jewelry stamps can be helpful while shopping, your best bet is to leave interpreting these industry-standard stamps to the professionals and simply work with a qualified jeweler, you trust.

Luckily, buying diamond insurance — or any jewelry insurance, for that matter — doesn’t have to be as complicated or as opaque as interpreting the various symbols stamped into your jewelry. Head to BriteCo and request a free, quick, online quote, and then get comprehensive jewelry coverage in minutes.

Related Articles:

What is Jewelry Stamping?
What Does 825 Mean on Jewelry?
Interpreting Antique Symbols Stamped on Jewelry
What is Ammolite? A Quick Guide to Ammolite Gemstones
How to Identify Vintage Jewelry?
What Are Beryl Gems?
Perfect Graduation Jewelry Gift

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