Gold Hallmark Stamps Explained: What 417, 585, 750 and 916 Mean

Flip over almost any piece of real gold jewelry and you will find a tiny stamp — usually on the clasp of a chain, the inside of a ring band, or the back of a pendant. Most people never look. But that stamp is the single fastest way to know what your jewelry is made of, and it is the first thing a pawnbroker checks when you walk in to sell or pawn. Here is how to read it.

Karat marks vs. fineness numbers

Gold jewelry is marked one of two ways, and both mean the same thing.

• Karat marks use a number followed by K or KT — 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, 24K. This is the American convention.
• Fineness numbers use three digits that describe the parts-per-thousand of pure gold — 417, 585, 750, 916, 999. This is the European convention, and it is extremely common on imported chains.

They translate directly to one another:

• 417 = 41.7% pure gold = 10K
• 585 = 58.5% pure gold = 14K
• 750 = 75.0% pure gold = 18K
• 916 or 917 = 91.6% pure gold = 22K
• 999 = 99.9% pure gold = 24K, usually seen on bars and coins rather than wearable jewelry

You may also see 375 (9K, common on British pieces) or 500 (12K). If you want the full breakdown of how karat affects durability, color and price, read our guide to 10K vs. 14K vs. 18K gold.

Marks that do NOT mean solid gold

This is where people get surprised. Some stamps look official but tell you the piece is only gold on the surface.

• GP — gold plated. A microscopic layer of gold over another metal.
• GEP — gold electroplated. Same idea, applied electrically.
• HGE or HGP — heavy gold electroplate. Still plating, just thicker.
• GF — gold filled, often written as a fraction like 1/20 14K GF. A bonded layer of real gold, far thicker than plating, but still not solid.
• RGP — rolled gold plate.
• GB — gold bonded.

A stamp reading 14K means solid 14 karat. A stamp reading 14K GP means base metal with a 14K-colored coating. One letter changes everything about what the piece is worth. We covered this in depth in gold-filled vs. gold-plated vs. solid gold.

Other letters you might see

• 925 or STER — sterling silver, not gold. If it is gold-colored and stamped 925, it is vermeil (gold over silver).
• PLAT or 950 — platinum.
• PD — palladium.
• A small maker's mark or country code stamped beside the karat mark — Italy, for example, is very common on rope and Cuban link chains.

Where to look on each type of jewelry

The stamp is small and often worn down. Grab a magnifier or your phone camera zoom and check these spots:

• Chains and necklaces — on the clasp itself, on the small tag soldered next to the clasp, or on the last link.
• Rings — inside the band, usually opposite the stone or design.
• Bracelets — same as chains, at the clasp or on a tag. Browse our bracelets and you will see the tag on most solid pieces.
• Pendants and charms — on the back, or on the bail (the loop the chain passes through).
• Earrings — on the post or the back of the setting.

If a piece has been resized, repaired or polished many times, the stamp can be partially or completely gone. That does not mean it is fake — it just means the stamp cannot be relied on by itself.

Why a stamp is a starting point, not proof

Stamps can be faked. Counterfeit chains are frequently stamped 14K or 585 by the same operation that made them. That is why no reputable buyer values gold from the stamp alone. A professional will confirm with an acid test on a scratch stone, an electronic conductivity tester, or an XRF analyzer that reads the metal composition without damaging the piece.

The reverse also happens: older, handmade, or estate pieces sometimes carry no stamp at all and still test as solid gold. If your item is unmarked, do not assume it is worthless — have it tested. Our guide on how to spot a fake gold chain walks through the tests you can try at home and the ones best left to a shop.

How the stamp affects what you get paid

Once the karat is confirmed, the math on solid gold is straightforward: value tracks the weight of the piece multiplied by its gold purity, priced against the current gold market. A heavier 10K chain can be worth more than a light 18K one. Two chains that look identical can be worth very different amounts if one is solid and one is hollow.

This is also why plated items are not gold buys — the coating is measured in millionths of an inch, and there is not enough recoverable metal to pay on. Gold-filled is a different story in small ways, but it still is not priced like solid gold.

Selling gold? Read the stamps before you walk in

If you plan to sell, the gold stamp on each piece is your first clue to what it is worth, and checking it at home takes a few minutes. Gold stamps and markings fall into three groups: a purity mark (10K, 14K, 417, 585, 750), a plated or filled mark (GP, GEP, HGE, GF, RGP), and everything else, such as maker's marks, country codes and style numbers. Only the first group means a piece is stamped as solid gold, and even then the stamp still has to be tested.

Sort your pieces by stamp

• Solid gold stamps: make separate piles for 10K or 417, 14K or 585, 18K or 750, and 22K or 916. Each karat group is weighed and priced on its own, which is also how our gold value estimator asks for your pieces.
• Plated or filled stamps: anything with GP, GEP, HGE, HGP, RGP, GB or GF after the karat number goes in its own pile. Gold plated jewelry markings often look official, so read the letters after the number, not just the number.
• No stamp, or a number you do not recognize: keep these together for testing. A missing or worn stamp does not mean a piece is fake.
• 925, STER, PLAT or PD: silver, platinum or palladium, not gold. Set them aside; they are tested and priced as their own metal.

How we check a stamp at the counter

At DD Pawn Loans the stamp is where the check starts, not where it ends. As our how we test gold page explains, each piece is weighed in grams on a calibrated jeweler's scale and verified with Sigma electronic testing, with an acid test when a stamp is missing or a reading needs a second opinion. Magnet and stamp checks screen out mismarked pieces, and stones, clasps and other non-gold parts are set aside so you are paid on the gold itself. It all happens on camera, in front of you.

From stamp to offer

Once the karat is confirmed, every group is figured the same way: weight in grams times the purity the stamp and the test show, priced against the day's gold market, minus our margin. That is why one or two letters matter so much. A chain stamped 14K and a chain stamped 14K GF can look the same size, but only the first is priced as solid gold. To see how weight and karat work together before you visit, enter each karat group into our pawn shop gold calculator.

When you are ready, bring the sorted pieces and a valid government-issued photo ID to 2751 W Atlantic Blvd #101 in Pompano Beach. DD Pawn Loans is a licensed Florida pawnbroker under Chapter 539, Florida Statutes, so every gold purchase is written up on a state transaction form with your photo ID. If you would rather keep the gold, ask about a pawn loan instead of selling. Walk-in details are on our sell gold in Pompano Beach page.

Frequently asked questions

My chain says 585 but not 14K. Is it still real gold?

Yes — 585 and 14K are two ways of writing the same thing. European and imported pieces very often use the three-digit fineness number instead of the karat mark. Both should still be verified with a test.

What if there is no stamp anywhere on my jewelry?

Unmarked does not mean fake. Handmade pieces, older estate jewelry, and items that have been resized or heavily polished often have no readable mark. Bring it in and we can test it in front of you.

Does a 1/20 14K GF stamp mean I have 14 karat gold?

No. That is gold filled — a bonded gold layer making up 1/20 of the item's weight over a base metal core. It is more substantial than plating but is not valued as solid gold.

Does gold plated jewelry have a stamp?

Often, yes. Plated pieces are commonly marked with the karat of the coating followed by letters such as GP, GEP, HGE or HGP, for example 14K HGE. Some plated and costume pieces carry no mark at all, so read the letters after the number and have anything you are unsure of tested.

Can fake gold have a 14K or 585 stamp?

Yes. Counterfeit chains and rings are often stamped 14K or 585 by whoever made them, so a stamp on its own is never proof. We confirm every piece with Sigma electronic testing, plus an acid test when a reading needs a second opinion, before we make an offer.

What do numbers like 150 or 175 stamped on gold mean?

They are not standard gold purity marks. The common gold fineness marks are 375, 417, 500, 585, 750, 916 and 999, so a different number is more likely a maker, model or size code than a purity mark. Treat the piece as unmarked and have it tested before you count on its value.

Visit DD Pawn Loans in Pompano Beach

DD Pawn Loans is at 2751 W Atlantic Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL 33069. Call or text (561) 774-9292. Hours: Mon–Thu 10am–7pm, Fri 9am–8:30pm, Sat 10am–7pm, closed Sunday. All sales are final — no returns.