Vintage Jewelry Marks: 17 Guides Compared

Vintage jewelry marks fall into four groups: metal marks like 925 and 750, plating marks like GP and HGE, maker marks, and dating clues like patent numbers and copyright symbols. The US has no central hallmarking system and no required register of makers, so a mark is a lead to research and not proof.

This guide is for anyone holding a ring from a flea market or a brooch from a relative. We read 17 pages on November 3, 2026, listed at the bottom, and ran no hands-on checks. This page shows who says what, not which page is right.

What do the most common vintage jewelry marks mean?

The guides agree on most of the everyday marks you will meet. This table lists marks that at least two pages explain.

What do 925, 750 and 585 mean?

They are purity marks, and the guides agree on what each one means. 925 means 92.5% silver (sterling), 750 means 18K gold at 75%, and 585 means 14K gold. Gabriel & Co., Blue Nile and DSF Antique Jewelry all list them.

The percentages differ by a hair: DSF gives 14K as 58.3% pure gold (14 parts in 24 is 58.3%, and the 585 stamp stands for 58.5%), while Gabriel & Co. and Blue Nile give 58.5%. Platinum splits more. DSF lists 900 as 90% platinum, and LoveToKnow says the "Plat" mark means at least 95% platinum. Appraisily says US platinum at 950 parts per thousand or more is marked simply "Platinum," and anything lower states the share, such as "900 Plat." No other page we read gives that rule, and we did not check it.

For silver, our guide to telling if silver is real covers what 925 means and what the stamp can and cannot prove. The gold version is how to tell if gold is real.

What do GP, HGE, GF and vermeil mean?

They all point to a gold layer over another metal. GP is gold plated and HGE is heavy gold electroplate, and the pages that name either one agree. GF is where they drift. DSF says "GF: Gold-filled, meaning a thicker gold layer than standard plating," and Blue Nile also describes a thicker layer over a base metal. Westland London groups it with electroplate and says these marks mean "the jewelry is mainly made of other materials, with only a small amount of gold."

Vermeil is sterling silver with gold plating, according to Westland and Blue Nile. ShopGoodwill pairs it with palladium, which is a separate metal. Nickel silver, also called German silver, has no silver in it. Westland and LoveToKnow both say so.

Our gold vermeil explainer goes deeper on that one. Plated pieces need different care, covered in how to clean gold plated jewelry.

Does a stamp prove the metal is real?

Mostly no, though the pages split. DSF's table says a purity mark "Confirms the metal is genuine and not plated or imitation." Its own FAQ then says "Yes, counterfeiters sometimes stamp fake marks."

Blue Nile says "one stamp shouldn't be treated as definitive proof of authenticity." Adin Jewellery (antiquejewel.com) says "These numbers, applied by manufacturers, do not always guarantee the actual purity of the metal." Luxuria Diamonds says a bare stamp like 925 on a gold ring "is not an officially hallmarked item." A number a maker stamped is a claim. In UK-style systems, an official hallmark comes from an assay office.

The US has no such system, according to Walton's Jewelry: "the United States has never had a government-regulated hallmarking system for jewelry." Appraisily agrees: "Unlike European countries, the U.S. doesn't have a centralized hallmarking system."

LoveToKnow adds a US wrinkle: "the content doesn't actually have to be stamped on the piece." It says makers who do stamp must put a trademark next to it. No other page we read says that, and we did not check it.

How do you find a maker from a mark?

Maker marks are usually initials or a company name, and nobody keeps a full register. Luxuria says "Jewelry makers marks typically are initials or the name of the manufacturing firm." It also says "Even in the U.S. and Canada, there is no requirement to register one's mark." So the guides point to lists instead:

• Morning Glory Jewelry & Antiques keeps lettered lists of costume and vintage maker marks, with some date ranges. We read the A to D page, about 100 names.
• CJCI runs a signatures list by letter. Its "T" page has about 70 entries.
• Texas Jewelers Association links to about 40 reference sites for maker marks, silver and British hallmarks.

Lists disagree with themselves. In its entry for BM Co., Morning Glory asks, "So which is correct, Keystone or Pack?" CJCI doesn't take identification requests: "Due to the large volume of requests received, we are unable to answer individual questions about jewelry marks and signatures."

Can a patent number or copyright symbol date a piece?

Yes, but only as a clue to the era. A patent number can be looked up. Madge's Hatbox warns: "Make sure you are researching a design patent rather than one for a mechanism."

The copyright symbol is where the dates clash. Morning Glory notes "(copyright symbol used after 1955)." Madge's Hatbox says "Jewelry manufacturers were not able to copyright their designs until 1958." CJCI adds that after Trifari won a 1955 court case, "patenting these types of designs was widely discontinued."

We don't pick between 1955 and 1958. Treat a © as "probably after the mid-1950s" and check the maker.

"Vintage" has no fixed range either. DSF puts it at approximately the 1920s to 1980s. Collecting Vintage and Contemporary Jewelry (a post dated February 20, 2013) says "1935 to 1980 span, which is considered vintage." The two ranges differ.

What do British and French hallmarks mean?

The guides agree on the UK basics. A leopard's head is the London assay office. An anchor is Birmingham and a rose is Sheffield, according to Westland and Walton's. A date letter gives the year. Westland says date letters became voluntary in 1999, and Blue Nile says they are now voluntary.

French marks bring more disagreement.

• Eagle's head (18K gold): Westland London says "From 1838, an eagle on gold jewelry means that it's French." Walton's says "Eagle's Head - Found on 18-karat gold pieces from 1839 onward."
• Crab (disputed): Westland says "a boar's head is the sign for Paris' assay office while outside of the capital, a crab emblem was used." Appraisily says "Crab - Items imported after 1893." Those are two different meanings, so check a dated reference before relying on a crab.
• Vienna Convention: DSF gives 1972. Appraisily's timeline says 1976. We did not check which event each date marks.

One mark has a single source. Only Aureus Boutique says a "CT" mark denotes diamonds, and CT is also a common abbreviation for carat. Don't lean on it.

Where do the 17 pages disagree?

What if the piece has no mark?

Appraisily says "Jewelry without markings isn't necessarily fake or worthless, but it can be more challenging to document." Aureus says that in the USA hallmarks tend to be voluntary, with maker's marks and quality marks common.

What's a sensible order for checking a mark?

Steps 3 and 5 come from the guides. Steps 1, 2, 4 and 6 are our advice. We did not try this order on any jewelry, so it is not a tested method.

1. Write down exactly what is stamped, letter by letter.
2. Sort each mark: metal (925, 750), plating (GP, HGE, GF), maker (initials or a name), or dating clue (Pat., ©).
3. Treat a purity stamp as a claim. Blue Nile, Adin and Luxuria all say it is not proof on its own.
4. Look up maker marks on two lists, such as Morning Glory and CJCI, because single lists contradict themselves.
5. Use a patent number or © only to narrow the era.
6. For a piece you plan to buy or sell, ask a jeweler or appraiser.

Where can you buy vintage pieces with clear marks?

If you are buying, look for sellers who show close photos of the stamp.

Our vintage jewelry shop picks and vintage clothing and accessories guide are a start. For how to judge a seller, see how safe Etsy is to buy from. Those guides carry Etsy affiliate links. This page has none.

Which 17 pages did we read?

All were read on November 3, 2026. One more page, Tru Faux Jewels, returned an error page and is not counted. Seven other Google result titles could not be traced to a page and were skipped.

• Luxuria Diamonds
• Morning Glory Jewelry & Antiques
• Texas Jewelers Association, a list of links with no marks in it
• DSF Antique Jewelry
• Gabriel & Co.
• ShopGoodwill blog
• Westland London
• Blue Nile
• Adin Jewellery
• Aureus Boutique
• Walton's Jewelry
• LoveToKnow
• CJCI, dating tools
• CJCI, "T" signatures page
• Madge's Hatbox
• Collecting Vintage and Contemporary Jewelry
• Appraisily