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Afshin’s Expert Guide to Gold Hallmarks
Understanding gold hallmarks is essential for anyone buying, selling, or inheriting gold jewelry, as these tiny stamps reveal vital information about a piece’s origin, purity, and authenticity. This article is authored by Afshin Shaddaie, a world-renowned expert in antique jewelry, with decades of experience evaluating and authenticating rare gold pieces.
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What is a Gold Hallmark?
Gold hallmarks are small stamps or engravings found on gold jewelry and other gold items. These marks are usually placed in an inconspicuous spot (like the inside of a ring or the clasp of a necklace) but they tell you important details about the gold, such as its purity, where it was made, and sometimes even the date or the maker.
Hallmarks are used to protect buyers and sellers by verifying that the gold is real and that it meets certain legal or industry standards. For collectors, jewelers, and anyone buying fine gold, understanding these marks can make the difference between a smart purchase and an expensive mistake.
“A gold hallmark,” says Michael Khordipour, “is a small fingerprint that tells the entire origin and history of a piece of jewelry.”
How to Read a Gold Hallmark
Reading a gold hallmark might seem confusing at first, but with a little practice, you can quickly decode the key details hidden in those tiny stamps.
The hallmark may reveal the gold content, who made it, where it was tested, and sometimes even when it was made.
Step-by-Step Checklist for Reading a Gold Hallmark:
- Locate the hallmark. The first (and sometimes hardest) task to do will be to actually locate the stamps on the jewelry item. It will usually be found on the inside of the ring, clasp of a necklace, or back of a pendant. They a commonly very small and sometimes hidden in really strange places. You may need to use a 10x loupe.
- Identify the purity mark. The purity mark will tell you how much pure gold is in the metal. The mark will be a number like 750 (18K), 585 (14K), or 916 (22K). It tells you how much pure gold is in the piece. Decode below.
- Look for the maker’s mark. This symbol or set of initials represents the company or jeweler who made the item. Sometimes the makers mark will be a name and sometimes it will be an initial or symbol.
- Find the assay office mark (if present). In countries like the UK, you’ll find symbols like a crown, anchor, or leopard’s head, which tell you where the item was officially tested.
- Check for a date letter. The date letter will usually be in British and some European gold jewelry. It will be represented by a single letter in a specific font or shape which may indicate the year it was hallmarked.
- Look for country or import marks. The country or import marks will show where the item was made or imported. For example, a crescent moon and crown will indicate that the jewelry item was made in Germany.
- Check for additional marks (e.g., “GF” or “PLAT”). These extra markings can indicate special designations like gold-filled, gold-plated, or platinum content.
What Types of Gold Hallmarks Exist?
As mentioned above, there are several types of gold hallmarks. Each offers a different piece of information about the jewelry.
Some marks indicate the gold’s purity (like 14K or 18K), while others identify the country of origin or the official assay office that tested the piece. Understanding these different categories helps you decode the full story behind any gold item.
Main Categories of Gold Hallmarks: Purity Marks (Fineness Marks), Assay Office Marks, Maker’s Marks, Date Letters, Country of Origin Marks, or Import or Export Marks.
Gold Purity Hallmarks
The gold purity hallmarks are stamps that indicate how much actual gold is in a piece of jewelry (and how much other types of metals are mixed in).
These marks help buyers understand the value of the gold and ensure they’re not getting a lower-quality metal than expected.
For example, a “750” stamp means the piece is 75% gold, or 18 karat, while a “585” means 58.5% gold, or 14 karat.
Important Note: Different countries may use different formats for labeling gold content. Some countries prefer “karats” (KT or K) while others may use numerical values. We recommend understanding how to read both systems, especially when buying or selling gold.
| Hallmark | Purity percentage | Karat Label | Commonly found in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 999 | 99.9% | 24K | Asia, Middle East |
| 916 | 91.6% | 22K | India, Middle East |
| 750 | 75.0% | 18K | Europe, USA, Global |
| 585 | 58.5% | 14K | USA, Canada |
| 417 | 41.7% | 10K | USA (legal minimum for gold) |
| 375 | 37.5% | 9K | UK, Australia |
| 333 | 33.3% | 8K | Some European countries |
List of Gold Hallmark Symbols
Many countries and assay offices use unique symbols to represent gold purity, origin, or official approval. Below is a list, compiled by Afshin Shaddaie and Benjamin Khordipour, with some of the most commonly seen hallmark symbols.
| Symbol | Symbol Meaning / Origin |
|---|---|
| 333 | 8K gold (33.3% purity), seen in Germany and Austria |
| 375 | 9K gold (37.5% purity), common in the UK |
| 417 | 10K gold (41.7% purity), used in the USA |
| 585 | 14K gold (58.5% purity), used in USA and Europe |
| 750 | 18K gold (75% purity), globally recognized |
| 800 | 19.2K Portuguese gold (80% purity) |
| 833 | Dutch standard for older gold pieces (83.3% purity) |
| 875 | Russian gold standard (21K, Soviet era) |
| 916 | 22K gold (91.6% purity), common in India and Asia |
| 958 | Britannia gold (95.8% purity), UK standard |
| 999 | 24K gold (99.9% purity), nearly pure gold |
| Anchor | Birmingham Assay Office |
| Anchor + Letters (e.g., “B”) | UK Birmingham Assay Office + date letter |
| Archangel Michael | Greek Orthodox hallmark symbol |
| Boar’s Head | French 14K gold mark (post-1838) |
| Castle | Edinburgh Assay Office |
| Circle with number inside | Common for indicating fineness in percentage |
| Crescent Moon and Crown | German hallmark for gold |
| Crown | Traditional UK symbol for gold |
| Date Letters | Often accompanying assay symbols (UK, Europe) |
| Dog’s Head | French hallmark for 18K gold (1838–1919) |
| Double-Headed Eagle | Pre-1917 Imperial Russian hallmark |
| Eagle Head | French gold hallmark (post-1838, 18K) |
| Fish | Dutch import hallmark |
| Fleur-de-Lis | Seen in some older French or Canadian marks |
| GF (Gold-Filled) | Gold-filled (not solid gold) |
| GP (Gold-Plated) | Gold-plated (thin layer over base metal) |
| Hammer and Punch | Eastern European assay mark |
| Horse’s Head | Seen in Hungarian gold from 20th century |
| IBIS | South African hallmark |
| K (e.g., 10K, 14K, 18K) | Karat system used in the Americas |
| Leopard’s Head | London Assay Office |
| Lion Passant | English gold standard (Sterling) |
| Lotus Flower | Indian BIS hallmark for certified gold |
| Lotus Mark with Number | Thai gold standard (commonly 96.5% gold) |
| Maple Leaf | Canadian hallmark (also on bullion coins) |
| Owl | French import hallmark |
| Palm Tree | Symbol in some Middle Eastern or Saudi marks |
| Pentagram or 5-pointed Star | Seen in some Spanish and Middle Eastern marks |
| PLAT or PT | Platinum mark (often found alongside gold marks) |
| Rectangle with rounded corners | Common EU gold fineness symbol shape |
| Rose | Sheffield Assay Office |
| Scales | International hallmarking symbol |
| Shell | Gold-plated or rolled gold, especially in USA |
| Sickel and Hammer | Soviet Russian gold hallmark |
| Square with Number Inside | Common symbol shape for international assay marks |
| Star with numbers | Italian maker’s mark + regional ID code |
| St. Andrew’s Cross | Russian mark (pre-1917) |
| Sun with Rays | Modern Swiss gold mark |
| Trident | Ukrainian state assay mark |
| Triangle with Number | Polish gold mark (triangle shape = purity symbol) |
| Yin-Yang | Decorative symbol on modern Asian gold (non-official) |
What is the Maker’s Mark?
A maker’s mark is a unique stamp used by the jeweler, manufacturer, or company that crafted the gold piece.
The maker’s mark acts like a signature, allowing collectors and buyers to trace the origin of the jewelry and, in some cases, even date it. These marks are often required by law in countries with strict hallmarking systems and can greatly influence the value and authenticity of the item.
Maker’s marks are typically found alongside purity stamps and assay office symbols, but like hallmarks, sometimes you’ll have to search hard to find them.
To learn more, check out our full article on Jewelry Maker’s Marks.
Benjamin’s Tips for Finding Gold Hallmarks
Gold hallmarks are small but powerful, and they’re packed with information that can reveal a lot about your jewelry. But to truly understand what you’re looking at, you’ll need more than just good eyesight. Here are 7 insider tips from Benjamin Khordipour G.G. to help you evaluate hallmarks with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
- Look everywhere and there might be a few. Just because you found one hallmark doesn’t mean you found them all. Check clasps, inner bands, edges, and even under decorative elements. Some pieces have multiple stamps in different spots.
- Use a 10x jeweler’s loupe. A 10x loupe is the industry standard. Using less magnification may cause you to miss fine details, while using more might distort what you’re seeing.
- Make sure the information aligns properly. Everything should make sense together. (For example, 18K white gold wouldn’t be correct for a piece claiming to be from the Victorian UK era.) If the parts don’t match, it could be a replacement or a reproduction.
- Always show the piece to a professional. A trained expert can pick up on clues that this article, and even hallmark guides, can’t cover. Things like engraving styles, wear patterns, and alloy tone all help confirm authenticity.
- If selling based on hallmarks, go to an expert buyer. A regular jeweler might overlook or undervalue hallmarked pieces. Experts buyers who specialize in antique or collectible jewelry are more likely to understand their full worth.
- Understand regional differences in hallmarking. Don’t assume all marks follow the same rules. The UK, France, Italy, Russia, and the USA each have different systems. Familiarize yourself with the country of origin when evaluating a piece.
- Beware of faded or forged hallmarks. Some hallmarks wear down with time, while others are poorly faked. If a mark looks too shallow, uneven, or suspiciously clean on an older piece, it’s worth investigating further.
Talk to a Jewelry Expert
Have any questions about gold hallmarks and markings on your jewelry? Send us a message and one of our jewelry experts will respond.
