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Marking system for rings, Hallmarks

Closely related historical posts, oldest first ...

Q. I have an old solitaire gold ring. Inside there is no hallmark, but I think it has been made smaller (I have lost most of the hallmarks on my rings by making them smaller.) There is a marking inside it says MCIAPLAT 436. What does that mean? I assume its gold plate?

A. Hi Helen. When you say it's gold, do you mean it's yellow, or might it be white and you just assumed it was white gold? ... because I'm no expert on this, but it is illegal to mark rings "PLAT" unless they are at least 95% pure platinum, so my guess is that the "PLAT" means the ring is platinum, and the 436 probably means that the solitaire is (or originally was) .436 carats. A picture is worth a thousand words :-)
Sorry, no idea what MCIA means.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Meaning of "10k kfy"

"World Hallmarks Vol. 2"
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Q. I was given a white gold ring for Christmas. The band is solid white and has two gold bars on each side of the cluster of diamonds. I looked inside of the ring and it has 10k kfy stamped inside. What does the kfy stand for? This was sold as a white gold ring and not a plated ring. Does the kfy stand for some kind of plate, on the ring?

Jeneen M [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Martinsville, Virginia, USA
2004

A. Hi Jeneen. Sounds to me like a 10 kt gold ring, with the rest being maker or designer marks, or maybe even an engraving of the owner's initials.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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No karat marks at all

Q. My husband just bought me a white gold diamond ring. I received a certificate stating it is a 14k white gold ring, but inside the ring it doesn't state that; actually it doesn't have a stamp inside at all. Can a ring without a stamp in it be 14k white gold? And will it pose a problem in the future for my daughter when she inherits it? How important is a stamp in a ring? Thank you -- a quick response is much appreciated.

Sincerely,

? Hi Myrna
I'm not seeing how the certificate is keyed/tied to the ring? How do you know that that certificate goes with that ring?
But the bulk of the value of a diamond ring would seem to me to be in the diamond rather than the gold.
Luck & Regards,


Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. FOR RINGS WITH NO MARKING INSIDE --

I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS NO MARK INSIDE OF MY RING AFTER HAVING IT SIZED. WHEN YOU ARE HAVING IT MADE SMALLER THE JEWELER CUTS A PIECE OF THE GOLD OUT OF THE BOTTOM PART OF THE BAND AND USUALLY IT'S WHERE IT IS MARKED, THEREFORE LEAVING NO MARK AT ALL. I LEARNED THIS WHEN HAVING A RING MADE SMALLER - ASK THE JEWELER TO: #1 GIVE YOU THE PIECE THAT WAS CUT OUT OR #2 ASK THEM TO ADD IT IN TO MAKE THE BAND PART STRONGER/THICKER.
HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE,

maria blickos
- Washington twp, New Jersey
August 19, 2012

Well, it's not going to help the jewelers that you told us, Maria :-)

I've never thought of that, but it might be a worthwhile amount of gold or platinum if a ring is severely downsized :-)

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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"Hallmarks of the Southwest"
by Barton Wright
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Meaning of Marking "P14K"

Q. I have recently purchased a ring from the "fine jewelry" counter of a local store, and have realized my ignorance of the marking system for rings. I wanted a silver-colored ring with a blue stone, and have been informed by the sales people that white gold is the way to go. The ring I purchased is white gold with the mark "P14K" inside. What does this mark mean? Is it gold plated silver or merely rhodium plated white gold or something else? Thank you!

Marguerite H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
consumer - Carmel, Indiana
2004

A. "P" is the maker's mark and 14K is gold content = 58.5% gold.

Neil Bell
Red Sky Plating

Albuquerque, New Mexico

"Gold & Platinum Jewelry Buying Guide"
by Renée Newman
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A. P stamped in a ring with a 10K or 14K means it is a HIGH QUALITY GOLD called "Plumb" You have to be a registered certified goldsmith to use this type of GOLD. The gold is certified PLUMB HIGH VALUE QUALITY.

There...have a nice evening.

Sing Mia
- Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
January 12, 2010

A. Hi. Neil may be right, Sing may be right -- and marking a plated ring P14K may be misleading or illegal, but E-bay & Etsy are chock full of rings they are selling as "P14K" where they mean plated with 14k gold :-(

Such markings sometimes don't say much or speak very clearly :-) Luck & Regards,


Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. I recently bought a Garnet & Diamond Ring from a friend and marks on the band read P14K. She said it was bought at J.C. Penny ... Does the P stand for the store's identification of is it Plated? Please let me know.

The second ring is a Heart Ring with about 25 little diamonds set in the heart ... It is marked 10K and 5DX8 or 5DXB ... What does this stand for?
Will wait to hear from you ... Thanks for your attention.

Evelyn H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Anchorage, Alaska
2006

Ed. note: This is just a public forum chat, Evelyn. If it's important to you, please take them to a jeweler, don't "wait to hear" from a stranger somewhere who may not even know what they're talking about :-)
There are on-line sites offering appraisals & related info, but they're not free.

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Meaning of marking "A/C"

Q. I JUST RECEIVED AN ENGAGEMENT RING. THE RING HAS MARKINGS I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. THE RING IS THE COLOR OF EITHER SILVER, PLATINUM, OR WHITE GOLD. IT DOES NOT STATE 14K, 10K, PT, PLATINUM. IT SIMPLY HAS THE NUMBER 2 ON ONE SIDE AND COPYRIGHT WITH A/C ON THE OTHER. IT HAS THREE DIAMONDS IN THE CENTER AND THREE SMALLER ONES ON EACH SIDE. MY FIANCE NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFO OR CERTIFICATIONS. I PLAN ON GOING TO THE JEWELER TO FIND OUT, BUT PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH INFO SO I AM PREPARED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Q. What does it mean when something is stamped with A/C on it? is it white gold?

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Meaning of marking "FAS"

Q. I have a ring that is stamped either fa9 or fas what does this mean? I want to know what fa9 or fas means, I have a ring with this stamped on the inside?

Jeana Ann C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Denver, Colorado
2007

A. FAS 925 is Sterling silver

Jamie Silvia
- Branchville, New Jersey
March 19, 2008

A. FAS is the makers mark for Fifth Avenue Sales, a common 'home party' jewelry maker of both high end costume and Sterling Silver jewelry.

K Bell
Hobbyist - Alberta, Canada
May 1, 2022

Q. I have a question, I was given a bracelet that has heart shaped diamonds and square diamonds in between the hearts and it says 925 fas, are the diamonds real?

Makayla Parish
December 2, 2014
- Seabrook, Tx, USA

Q. I'm trying to get info on a ring that is only stamped FAS. NO OTHER STAMP. COULD YOU PLEASE HELP FOR I AM AT A TOTAL LOSS HERE

Tonya Truslow
- Scottsville Virginia
September 21, 2022

A. Hi Tonya. That one was already answered: Fifth Avenue Sales.

Luck & Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Meaning of ... "with an Arrow Through It?"

Q. Hi, I was just recently going through a jewelry box of my late great grandmother's and found a beautiful ring that had 1 larger diamond and 4 smaller ones. I tried to do all the little "tests" to see if it is real like blowing hot air (it passed) and scratching glass (it passed) but on the inside of the ring, the only markings are a copyright sign and what looks like an H with an arrow through it? I've tried researching this symbol and came up with nothing. What does it mean?
Thanks,

Q. I recently inherited a lot of jewelry that my grandmother had. Some (if not most) seem to be from HSN or QVC but I found one that is a gorgeous leopard ring with black and onyx gems on it with bright green (emerald) eyes. I can take a picture of it if you'd like. However, it has an "H" with an arrow through it and I can't seem to find anywhere that states what this jeweler mark is. Do you know? Are there other resources online? There is a ton of it - enough that I'm opening up my own small jewelry boutique with the inventory.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.

Q. I have an old ring that I'm not sure where I got it from but all it says on the inside of the band is an 8 and an 0 with an arrow through it (the arrow is only through the 0). I have no idea if this ring is even worth something let alone what that means.

Q. I have a ring white gold? Double heart with diamonds, mark in 14K "W" arrow up to the right "S". Does this mean anything?

Q. Wondering if anyone knows what the markings inside my ring might be ? It says 14k WS ,But in between the W and the S there's an Arrow, pointing up but not just up, it's pointing NorthEast. Six prong size 6 Engagement ring; not sure if the diamond is real or Cubic zirconium! So can anyone maybe help me out ?

Q. I have a diamond gold ring; inside the ring is the number 9 and an arrow with the capital letter "U" in the middle of the arrow. What does that mean and what can you tell me about the ring.
thank you
Richard

Q. I have a ring with blue stone in middle and around edges with yellowish stones around in between inside it has 18KT HGE with a left aiming arrow with two T's in it and a round makers stamp (that's hard to make out details on it). PLEASE HELP ASAP.

A. Hi Mary. A jeweler can probably tell you what the stones are or if they're glass, and would have told you the ring is electroplated. But what "a left aiming arrow with two T's in it" means is unclear because there are tens of thousands of maker's marks. The primary value for your granddaughter is that she'll be the 4th generation to have it. These vintage cocktail rings usually have little monetary value, but they're very cool to keep in the family.

If it might be a "U" with the bottom worn off rather than two tees, it could mean Uncas brand though, which might have some value.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. PLEASE HELP. FOUND A CHILD'S RING. LOOKS TO BE A RUBY SET IN RING. HAS MH WITH ARROW RUNNING COMPLETELY THROUGH IT. CAN ANYBODY IDENTIFY MAKER. LOOKS TO BE FROM 20'S OR 30'S.

Q. I have a ring with a single diamond the 7 and an arrow on the inside of the band ... is it real?

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What does 14K PAT mean

Q. I received a ring from my mother the engrave 14k PAT on the inside what does that mean?

Leslie bielavme
- lansford, Pennsylvania
May 6, 2008

A. Hi, Leslie. 14K means 14 karat of course. I'd be pretty confident that "PAT" is simply an abbreviation for "patented", and that it means they claim a design pattern on the look of the ring.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Q. There are markings on my engagement ring, some of which I'm unsure of what they mean. The first is "14K", which I assume is 14K gold. Following that marking, there appears to be a "10" or it could be a "40" stamped on it. What does that mean. The last marking is "1.00R", which I would like to know what it means. Thanks......

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Q. What is my army Ranger ring made of? Inside the ring it says BALFOURBPS PATPEND and has a "c" with a circle around it

Nicole Graver
- Belfair, Washington
September 8, 2010

A. Hi, Nicole.

BPS is, according to the manufacturer's site, "Balfour Premium Silver", an alloy of silver and palladium. "Patpend" means they are trying to get a patent on this particular alloy, and the c with a circle means they have copyrighted the trade name BALFOURPBS and/or the design of the ring.

Thank you for your service. Although the metal value of the ring probably isn't a whole lot, what it stands for is priceless.
Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Q. Hi, I bought a pearl and gold pendant. It says 14k cp. I was wondering what the cp stands for? Thanks, Patsy

A. Hi, Patsy. I'm pretty sure that the "CP" means cultured pearl.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. I have a past, present, future diamond pendant which has markings of 8KCP on it. Could you tell me what this means?

The Meaning of "cTo"

Q. KOCH Anniversary Ring: I have a gold marked 10kt, and a mark "cTo" next to it. Can you tell me what the "cTo" stands for?

A. Hi, Harold. That's the trademark for O.C. Tanner Jewelry Co.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. I see that you answered the marking question re: cto earlier up. but I have a bangle that says made in jamaica WI (WI stands for West Indies with the letters CTO in caps, Sterling after that. I don't think this it the OC tanner company as it is not made in the US. I have looked online to no avail.
Any info great appreciated. I did find an item on ebay no description but it was called vintage.

Q. I am looking at a used ring (band) that has "OC14K" inside the band. Does this "OC" stand for the O.C. Tanner Company? Thanks.

A. Hi Jim. With a photo, it might be possible to compare against some O.C. Tanner trademarks and take an educated guess; but without a photo, just two letters, and with tens of thousands of makers, and hundreds of thousands of maker marks, it's just hopeless to guess. All we can say is odds are probably against because there are so many other makers :-)

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Meaning of MEK

Q. Okay this was weird but two days ago I came across and old ring in a box of items I was getting ready to toss. We were having a yard sale and when going through the box in question I found a gold and topaz (I think) ring. I liked it cleaned it up and put it on. Later at the yard sale a couple men that go all over the country looking for antiques and things stopped into our sale. They bought several of my items but when they noticed my ring they REALLY wanted it. I don't know if it's even worth a penny I just like it because it's pretty. But their visit got me wondering more about it. Here's the description and any help giving would be great appreciated. It's a size nine ring 10K gold with eagles on both sides. It doesn't look "manly" enough to be a men's ring so I thinks it for a lady. Inside it's marked with a serial type number, the 10K mark and then the letters MEK. Can anybody tell me what MEK means, I haven't been able to find it anywhere. Thank you in advance for any help given.

Becca Smith
just about anything - Eureka Kansas USA
April 4, 2011

"American Jewelry Manufacturers"
by Dorothy T. Rainwater
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A. Hi Becca, I had a query similar to yours on a diamond ring I have. it has the 10k VIR on it. I found that this is Virginian gold mined from Virginia (duh) perhaps yours is 10k MEK, which could refer to (this straight from Google)
"Metals Creek Resources Corp. - Home
www.metalscreek.com/
Metals Creek Resources Corp. (the 'Corporation', TSX-V:MEK), is a Canadian TSX venture exchange listed company incorporated under the laws of the ...
News - Contact - Ogden TWP - Corporate Team
MEK.V: Summary for METALS CREEK RESOURCES CORP ...
Perhaps a little more digging could be done.

Gem Caldwell
- Brisbane Qld Australia

A. Hi Gem. Anything is probably possible, but what would lead us to believe that this digging company makes rings? As you say, more digging required, but I might suspect that it's just the initials of a past owner. :-)

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Q. I have a wedding band purchased in 1965. Inside band there are markings: what looks like a capital p dash c . (P-c) an emblem of a pear with a p inside. and 14k. Any idea what these mean?

Q. Hey, I found this ring cleaning out a foreclosed home it has 14 k pc and a lot of diamonds. Any suggestions?

Q. The 4 marks on my ring are as follows:

GA OZ 375
Any ideas?

Q. Hi, I want to know what "14 K MO" mark inside a ring means.
Is MO mark about moissanite instead of diamonds?
It is a white gold ring with little diamonds.

Thanks in advance

Q. Hi - I purchased a ring that I was told was 14k. The marking on the inside of the band says 14k PAT FL-8. After reading some of your answers - I'm wondering if PAT means Patented, but not sure what the FL-8 would mean. Is it plated? Thanks! Tina

Q. I purchased a very pretty ring with a large stone in center and many little stones around it, the only marking on it is S A, and I can not find what that means, I would appreciate any help on this. I have no idea what kind of metal it is.

Q. My ring is opal and diamond. It is white gold I think. What do the numbers inside p with smaller 6 or maybe a t next to 900 mean? Then across from that on inside of ring it has 292-034 what does this mean?

Q. I was recently proposed to! My fiancé gave me his mom's ring about which we know nothing (she died when he was really young). I have been wondering what type of ring it was, etc. It appears to be a gold band with a diamond in the shape of a heart. Inside the ring it reads "50" and "B2". What do these markings mean??

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ANSWERS :).

Q. My mother-in-law gave me her wedding ring before she passed away. It's a unique ring. Very wide band with one big square diamond in the middle and on the side, at a angle is three diamonds. Inside it has the letters:14K and LIT. This ring is about 52 years old and I have been trying to find out what the LIT stands for. I know many jewelers marked their rings with initials. Can you tell me what these initials stand for. Thank you

Q. I found a ring with the imprint of C25 on it what does that stand for?

Q. Hello:
I have a wedding ring that appears to be gold/platinum with a row of (V's etched all around the top side. Inside the ring definitely appears to be gold with a few scrapes but nothing serious. The ring is somewhat heavy. Strangely, there is No stamp inside any where. I've had this ring for a long time and never turned my finger green or black. I've also taken it to be tested at a pawn shop and was told that it did not pass the gold test but could be because it may be platinum and would be worth more than gold. Also did the makeup/foundation test and noticed a greyish/black marking when done. Can ANYONE tell me what kind of band I may possibly have.
Thanks and sorry for the long post.

Gail

Q. The inside of my engagement ring is stamped 1TW 10KT Q (on one side of the setting) and 4 on the other side. Can someone kindly tell me what these initials stand for please and thank you.

tb

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Meaning of 925

Q. I bought a used ring, it is a square shaped garnet and it does look like real gold but when I went to look for the # of K's on there there was none but a number 925. Is this ring real? Or is it not :( Thank-you in advance.

Karen Galligos
- Powell River BC Canada
March 23, 2012

A. Hi Karen. "925" usually means 92.5% pure silver -- the same as "Sterling". So it sounds like a gold plated sterling silver ring.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Q. Have you heard of STAN D STERLING? I just purchased a Malachite ring with "STAN D STERLING" stamped on the back.

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Q. I recently received a white gold ring with a purple stone with a stamp on the inside 10KT. Can you tell me if it is plated or solid? Trying to figure out what this ring really is. Thanks Crystal

Crystal Jackson
- Missouri
April 25, 2012

A. Hi Crystal.

10KT means it's solid, and 10/24's pure gold.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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