What is the meaning of “925” on gold jewelry?

The hallmark 925 is commonly used to signify silver or silver jewelry.

It can be seen as a mark on jewelry made of gold, which gives you information about the type of metal used and its authenticity.

A 925 mark on gold jewelry does not necessarily mean it is fake. Before you throw it out, make sure to find out what 925 means. Let’s see.

Gold

It is easy to make gold, a soft yellow metal. This precious metal can be mixed with other metals to make it stronger and more useful for design. The term Karat refers to pure gold. The 24K sign is for pure gold.

Gold is the most commonly used metal in jewelry making. In fact, up to 75% goes to this purpose. Different gold shades can be found depending on what metal is used to alloy it with.

• White
• Green
• Red
• Blue

Purity in Gold

Most experts use the following terms when referring to gold purity:

• Pure gold
• Solid gold
• White gold

It is important to know the difference between Karat and Carat. To determine the purity of gold, you will use Karat with K. A Carat is used to measure gems’ weight. It equals 0.00705 ounces (0.2g, 200m).

Gold Purity
Karat	Parts gold to alloy	Fineness	Percentage
24 K	24 / 24	999	100 %
22 K	22 / 24	917	91.66 %
18 K	18 / 24	750	75.00 %
14 K	14 / 24	583	58.33 %
10 K	10 / 24	417	41.67 %
9 K	9 / 24	375	37.50 %

It is possible to use a Karat grade in order to indicate a quality of a gold alloy and the percentage of gold. The gold content of a piece of jewelry can vary from 100% to 37% to 24K.

Solid Gold vs. Plated gold

You can be certain that the entire piece of 14K Gold Jewelry is made from 14 Karat gold. You can also find gold-plated jewellery. The piece is made of another metal and plated with a thin gold layer.

Remember that although a piece of gold-plated jewelry may contain 24K yellow, the layer is thin making it worthless. You should choose a gilding that is measured in molecules.

A second problem is that jewelry may have a stamp that looks like a real mark of gold. You might see signs such as 14KHGE (hydrostatically gold plating), or 18KGE (18kilogram electroplating). These signs are not real gold.

White and red gold

Copper can make gold redder, while gold is a yellow metal. By adding silver or zinc, gold can become lighter and more whitish.

Select alloying metals are used to bleach the gold color to get white gold. It can reach as high as 21K and is often used by jewelers to create jewelry with precious stones.

Schmuck Stamps

Let’s now find out what jewelry stamps are. If you see only one stamp on a piece of jewelry, it is a sure sign that the piece contains pure gold. It is the only mark that determines Karat’s fineness.

There are three other ways to stamp: 375, 585 and 917 marks. These marks determine the amount of gold. The Karat sign indicates how many parts of 24 constitute pure gold. In this instance, it is 1,000. Your jewelry can have 375, 585 or 917 parts of 1,000 if it is pure gold.

You can see other hallmarks that indicate the jewelry is made of a different metal than gold. Let’s see.

• 9000PT, 900PT and PT900. These marks indicate jewelry made with one of the most common platinum alloys. This number denotes how many parts of the metal were used for every 1,000 grams of platinum.
• 925 Jewelry made from silver with this stamp. To be legally considered Sterling silver, it must contain at least 92.5% pure Silver and 7.5% mixed elements.
• This stamp indicates that jewelry is made from some metal with gold plating. Usually, the Karat fineness is what you will see. 14KGP is an example.
• HGE is a mark that the jewelry is not made from pure gold. These pieces usually have a Karat fineness marking, such as 18KHE.
• GF is a sign for gold-filled jewelry. This means that the jewelry has a thin layer made of gold wrapped around silver or another base metal.
• No stamp Usually, gold comes with one of the standard stamp types. You may find an old piece of jewelry made from gold that does not have a stamp. If you find an old gold piece that doesn’t have a stamp, it is worth taking to the jeweler to have it tested.

What does Stamp 925 on Gold Jewelry mean?

The hallmark 925 is used to confirm the metal’s authenticity and quality. This stamp is quite common and can be found on silver and gold jewelry with different meanings.

This mark is found on silver jewelry and indicates that the item is sterling Silver. It also refers to its standard quality rating. This means that your jewelry contains 92.5% pure and 7.5% alloy. Most often, it is copper.

Many people believe this mark means that jewelry contains 92.5% of gold, when it is found on gold jewelry. 925 gold jewelry actually consists of sterling silver that has been plated with gold. This is also known as gold vermeil, or costume jewelry.

To be considered gold vermeil in the USA, jewelry must be plated at least 10K gold. This means that at most, the gilding should not exceed 42%.

The second condition is that plating thickness must not be less than 2.5 microns. The thickness of the gold plating is greater for gold vermeil jewelry than it is for the gold plated. This is why solid gold jewelry can be mixed with gold vermeil.

Stamp 925 Italy

The hallmark 925 Italy is not uncommon and is the exact same as the 925 stamps. It simply means that the jewelry was made in Italy.

Is 925 gold worth buying?

The gold vermeil jewelry is very popular. It is made from sterling silver that has been quality-gold-plated and retains some value. A 925 stamp on jewelry is not considered an investment as its value is much lower than that of gold jewelry.

Gold-Plated Jewelry

There is another option, but it is important to remember that jewelry made from gold-plated metals are not made from real gold. This type of jewelry is usually made from a lower-quality metal with a thin, chemically or electrically applied layer of gold. The thickness of this layer is typically 1/1,000 to 13,000 inches.

Advantages and Disadvantages of 925 Gold Jewelry

There are many benefits and drawbacks to buying 925 gold jewelry. Although the jewelry’s value isn’t high enough to make it an investment, there are still some benefits to buying 925 jewelry.

Pros

This is the look of genuine gold. Although it bears the stamp “925”, and you know that this jewelry is not made from solid gold, it often looks authentic. Most people don’t know the difference.

A limited budget If you are only concerned about the look of your jewelry and cannot afford solid gold, then 925 gold might be a good option. You will save money and it looks almost as good as the real thing.

You can also ensure that your jewelry is varied by purchasing gold vermeil. You can buy five to ten gold vermeil, which is equivalent to one solid-gold piece.

Allergies Jewelry allergies are a common concern. Allergies can be caused by metals used as bases to gold-plated jewelry. However, gold will protect your skin.

Remember that the color of plated-gold jewelry can change as the gold layer wears away over time. The one stamped with 925 is unlikely to cause allergic reactions.

Cons

The gold layer of gold plating is very thin and will eventually wear down. You should have your gold-plated jewelry re-coated every now and again. It could be every few months or years, depending on the situation.

• The quality and manufacturing method
• Maintenance
• How often do you wear jewelry?

Re-covering can be as expensive or more expensive than purchasing solid gold jewelry, which typically runs $30 to $65.

Summary

Stamp 925 gives information about gold-plated jewelry which looks similar to solid gold. The 925 marks indicate jewelry that is made from sterling silver and has a thin layer of gold. This piece will give you beautiful gold vermeil at a reasonable price.