October 03, 2026

What Do 375, 585, 750 and 916 Mean on Gold? Jewelry Stamps Decoded

Filed under Hallmarks, Dating & Authentication Gold & Precious Metals Buying Guides

Antique gold rings on green velvet with hallmarks and karat stamps visible inside the bands

Short answer: the three-digit numbers stamped on gold are millesimal fineness marks, showing gold content in parts per thousand. 375 is 9 karat, 585 is 14 karat, 750 is 18 karat and 916 is 22 karat. A stamp such as 14K means 14 parts gold in 24, which is 58.5%. Letters like GP, GF or HGE beside the number mean the gold is only a surface layer.

Gold stamps are a small alphabet, and once you know it you can read most jewelry in seconds. The catch is that stamps are claims, some numbers mean different things on different metals, and a few of the most common marks announce that the piece is not solid gold at all. This is the full key, with the traps marked.

What do the numbers on gold mean?

The number is the proportion of pure gold in the alloy, expressed in parts per thousand. 750 means 750 parts in 1,000 are gold, so 75%. The rest is alloying metal, usually silver and copper, sometimes zinc, and in white gold often palladium or nickel.

The karat system says the same thing in twenty-fourths. Pure gold is 24 karat, so 18 karat is 18 parts in 24, or 75%. That is why 18K and 750 are the same standard written two ways. In Britain and much of the Commonwealth the unit is written ct (carat) rather than k; it means the same when applied to gold. Diamond carats are a unit of weight and have nothing to do with it.

Gold fineness chart: every common number decoded

This is the working table. Percentages are rounded; where a number has another meaning on another metal, the last column says so.

Stamp	Karat	Gold content	Where you typically see it	Watch out for
333	8k	33.3%	German and some Central European jewelry	Below the US 10k minimum for selling as gold
375	9k / 9ct	37.5%	British jewelry since 1854; Ireland, Australia, much of Europe	Cannot be sold as "gold" in the US
416 / 417	10k	41.6–41.7%	American jewelry, especially class rings and everyday pieces	Both numbers mean 10k; 10/24 is 41.67%
585 (also 583)	14k	58.5%	US, Europe, Russia; the most common fine jewelry standard worldwide	583 appears on older and Soviet-era pieces; same karat
625	15ct	62.5%	British jewelry 1854–1932	A dating clue: the standard was abolished in 1932
750	18k	75%	Continental Europe, Britain, fine and signed jewelry everywhere	Read every mark: beside a plating mark it describes the surface only
833	20k	83.3%	Uncommon; occasionally on Middle Eastern and Asian gold	833 is also a silver standard (Dutch and Portuguese silver)
875	21k	87.5%	Middle Eastern and North African gold	875 is also a Russian and Soviet silver standard
916	22k	91.6%	British 22ct, Indian and Middle Eastern jewelry, wedding bands	"916" is used heavily in Indian gold marketing; check for a full hallmark
958	23k	95.8%	Uncommon; occasionally on Asian and Middle Eastern gold	958 is also Britannia silver: a 958 with a Britannia figure is silver
990 / 999	24k	99.0% / 99.9%	Bullion, some Asian jewelry	Very soft; rare in antique Western jewelry

A small point that confuses people: 14/24 works out at 58.33%, yet 14k is stamped 585. Stamping slightly above the mathematical value keeps the metal safely above the standard. It is convention, not a misprint.

For what those karats mean in wear, colour and value, our guide to whether 9k and 10k gold is worth it covers the low end in detail.

What does 585 gold mean?

585 gold is 14 karat gold: 58.5% pure gold, alloyed with 41.5% other metals. It is the most widely used fine jewelry standard in the world, the default in the United States and very common in Europe and Russia. A ring stamped 585 is solid 14k gold, provided the stamp is honest and not accompanied by a plating mark.

What does 750 gold mean?

750 gold is 18 karat gold: 75% pure gold. It is the standard for most European fine jewelry and for a large share of signed and designer pieces, which is why you see it on Italian and French work. It is richer in colour and softer than 14k. French 18k jewelry is often marked with the eagle's head assay mark instead of, or as well as, a number; Italian pieces pair 750 with a five-pointed star, a registration number and a province code.

What does 916 gold mean?

916 gold is 22 karat gold: 91.6% pure. It is deep yellow and soft, traditional for wedding bands in Britain and standard for much Indian and Middle Eastern jewelry. In India, "916" became shorthand for genuine 22k in jewelry advertising, so the number on its own is not a guarantee; an official hallmark from the national assaying system is the stronger evidence.

What does a 14K stamp mean, and what about 14KP?

A 14K stamp is the American karat mark for 14 karat gold, 58.5% pure. A P after the karat, as in 14KP, stands for plumb: the maker is asserting the full karat, without the tolerance that older US law allowed. It is a claim of accuracy, not a different alloy.

Under US law a karat stamp should be accompanied by the registered trademark of the maker or seller who answers for it, which is why most modern American gold carries a maker's mark beside the karat. American jewelry made before the early twentieth century was often unstamped altogether, and early stamps were not always accurate.

Which stamps mean the piece is not solid gold?

Any karat mark combined with a plating or filling mark means the gold is only on the surface. These are the marks that fool people most often, because the karat is printed right there.

Mark	Means	What is inside	Solid gold?
GP, GEP, GE	Gold plated / gold electroplate	Base metal (brass, copper, steel) or silver	No
HGE, HGP	Heavy gold electroplate / heavy gold plate	Base metal with a thicker plating	No
GF, G.F., 1/20 12K GF, 1/20 14K	Gold filled: karat gold bonded to a core, at least 1/20 of the metal weight	Base metal core, usually brass	No
RGP, R.G.P., 1/40 10K RGP	Rolled gold plate: the same bonding with less gold	Base metal core	No
Rolled gold, Doublé, Dublé	British and European names for gold filled or rolled gold	Base metal core	No
Plaqué or, Plaqué	French for gold plated	Base metal	No
925 on a gold-coloured piece, sometimes with "vermeil"	Vermeil: gold-plated sterling silver	Sterling silver	No
Gold tone, gilt	A gold-coloured finish of any kind	Anything	No

The fraction on gold filled pieces describes the gold layer's share of the total metal weight, and the karat describes that layer. "1/20 12K GF" means one twentieth of the metal is 12 karat gold. The piece as a whole is roughly 2.5% pure gold. These terms are defined for US sellers by the FTC Guides for the Jewelry Industry (16 CFR Part 23); our guide to gold plated, gold filled, vermeil and solid gold explains the thicknesses and how each wears.

One more ambiguity: RG on its own can mean rolled gold or rose gold depending on who stamped it. Context, weight and a test settle it.

What do silver and platinum stamps look like?

Silver and platinum use the same parts-per-thousand logic, which is why numbers overlap with gold marks and why reading the metal colour matters.

Stamp	Metal	Content	Notes
925, Sterling, Ster.	Sterling silver	92.5% silver	British, American and Mexican standard
958	Britannia silver	95.8% silver	British higher standard; shows a seated Britannia figure
900	Coin silver	90% silver	Common in older American silver
800, 830, 835	Continental silver	80–83.5% silver	German, Italian, Scandinavian and Dutch pieces
EPNS, Nickel silver, German silver, Alpaca	Not silver	0% silver	Copper-nickel-zinc alloys, sometimes silver plated
PLAT, PT950, 950 Plat	Platinum	95% platinum	Modern US and international standard
900 Plat 100 Irid, IRIDPLAT, PT900	Platinum-iridium	90% platinum, 10% iridium	Common on early twentieth-century American and Art Deco-era pieces
PT850	Platinum	85% platinum	Common in Japanese jewelry

Platinum was the metal of the finest Edwardian and 1920s work; our Edwardian jewelry guide explains why it transformed diamond setting.

How do you read the stamps on a piece of jewelry?

Work through the marks in order, and treat each as evidence to be checked rather than a certificate.

Find all the marks. Use a 10x loupe and good light. Check inside ring shanks, on clasps, on the tongue of a box clasp, on the tag beside it, on earring posts and on the back of pendants and brooches.
Read the fineness or karat against the table above, and note whether it is written as K, ct or a number.
Look for plating or filling marks beside it: GP, HGE, GF, RGP, a fraction, Doublé, Plaqué. If any is present, the karat applies to a surface layer only.
Check that the number fits the metal colour. 875 or 958 on a white metal is probably silver. 925 on a yellow piece is probably vermeil.
Look for a maker's mark and, on British or European pieces, assay office and date marks. A complete hallmark is far stronger evidence than a bare number.
Consider whether the stamp fits the piece. A crisp modern "750" on something sold as Georgian, or a stamp struck over a sizing join, raises questions.
If in doubt, confirm with a test rather than trusting the number.

British and European hallmarks carry much more information than a karat number, including where and when a piece was assayed. Our guide to reading a hallmark covers those systems, and if there is no mark at all, dating a ring without a hallmark explains what construction reveals.

How reliable is a gold stamp?

A stamp is only as reliable as the system behind it. An independent assay office mark, of the kind British and many European pieces carry, means the metal was tested before it was struck. A maker's karat stamp is the maker's own claim. A bare number on an unbranded modern piece is the weakest evidence of all, and fake stamps are routine on counterfeit jewelry.

How to check a stamp	What it shows	Reliability	Risk to the piece
Loupe reading of all marks	Karat claim, plating marks, maker, assay marks	Moderate; depends on who struck the mark	None
Cross-check colour and wear	Whether the metal looks like its stamp	Low to moderate	None
Magnet test	Steel or iron content	Rules out some fakes only	None
Electronic tester or XRF at a jeweler	Actual alloy composition	High for the surface	None or minimal
Acid test by a professional	Approximate karat	High when done on a filed spot	Small file mark; hazardous acids

Acid testing belongs with a professional, not a home kit. Our guide on how to tell if gold is real walks through every test, including the ones that are myths.

What does it mean if gold has no stamp?

An unstamped piece is not automatically fake. Marks wear away, disappear when a ring is resized, and were often never applied: American jewelry before the early twentieth century was frequently unmarked, and in Britain gold items under one gram are exempt from compulsory hallmarking. Signed designer pieces are usually well marked; our vintage Tiffany guide shows how one house's marks changed over time. For an unmarked piece, a test answers the question a stamp cannot.

When should you see a professional?

Take a piece to a jeweler, appraiser or assay service when a stamp is missing, illegible or ambiguous, when the stamp and the metal seem not to match, before selling for metal value, and before buying anything whose price depends on its karat. An XRF reading takes minutes and settles most questions without marking the piece. For signed pieces, final authentication belongs to the house or a qualified specialist, since maker's marks are exactly what counterfeiters copy.

If the piece has stones as well, the stamp tells you nothing about them. Our guide to how to tell if a diamond is real covers that side.

Questions people actually ask

What does 585 mean on gold?

585 means the metal is 58.5% pure gold, which is 14 karat. It is a millesimal fineness mark, showing gold content in parts per thousand. 585 is the most common fine jewelry standard in the world. If the 585 appears with a plating mark such as GP or HGE, only the surface layer is 14k gold.

Is 750 gold real gold?

Yes. 750 is the fineness mark for 18 karat gold, meaning 75% pure gold alloyed with 25% other metals such as silver and copper. It is the usual standard for European and signed fine jewelry. Like any stamp, it is a claim; an unbranded piece with a 750 bought cheaply online should be tested before you rely on it.

What does 916 mean on gold jewelry?

916 means 91.6% pure gold, which is 22 karat. It is traditional in British wedding bands and standard for much Indian and Middle Eastern jewelry. Because "916" is widely used in advertising, look for a full official hallmark rather than the number alone, particularly on pieces bought abroad or online.

Is 14K the same as 585?

Yes. 14K and 585 describe the same standard: 14 parts gold in 24, or 58.5% gold. American makers usually stamp the karat, while European and many other makers stamp the millesimal number. Some older pieces, especially Soviet-era Russian gold, are stamped 583, which is also 14 karat.

What does 14K GF mean?

14K GF means gold filled: a layer of 14 karat gold bonded to a base metal core, usually brass. The gold layer must be at least one twentieth of the total metal weight, often shown as 1/20 14K GF. It is durable and respectable, but it is not solid gold and has little metal value.

What does 375 mean on gold?

375 means 37.5% pure gold, which is 9 karat. It has been a British hallmarking standard since 1854 and is common on British, Irish and Australian jewelry. It is real, solid gold alloy, though it cannot be sold simply as "gold" in the US, where the legal minimum is 10 karat.

Can a gold stamp be fake?

Yes. Anyone with a punch can strike a number, and fake 750 and 585 stamps are common on counterfeit and plated jewelry. Stamps backed by an independent assay office hallmark are far more trustworthy than bare numbers. When value depends on the karat, confirm it with an electronic tester or XRF reading.

Every piece we list is described by metal and karat, from British 9ct to Italian 18k such as these signed Gucci gold cufflinks, and you can browse the full collection with its marks in mind. If you want a piece found in a particular metal or standard, our sourcing service does the looking. More on marks and makers sits in our hallmarks archive.