The Journal · Topic

Hallmarks, Dating & Authentication

Reading marks, dating pieces without them, spotting reproductions and authenticating signed jewels — the checks we run before anything is listed.

Hands inspecting the hallmarks inside an antique gold ring with a jeweler's loupe, beside calipers and a sketchbook.
October 2026

How to Tell If a Bulgari B.zero1 Ring Is Real

How to tell if a Bulgari B.zero1 ring is real: the 1999 Colosseum-inspired design, BVLGARI engraving on the rims, inside marks and...

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Signed Tiffany & Co. Return to Tiffany heart tag chain bracelet in 18k yellow gold, the tag engraved Please Return to Tiffany & Co. New York.
October 2026

How to Tell If Tiffany Jewelry Is Real: Return to Tiffany, Tiffany T and Elsa Peretti

How to tell if Tiffany jewelry is real: the marks to look for, Return to Tiffany engraving and tag checks, Tiffany T...

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Imperial Russian ring with three blue sapphires and old cut diamonds set flush in a hand-engraved 14k gold band, hallmarked 56 zolotnik, 1864.
October 2026

Rose Gold, Red Gold and Russian Gold: Why Antique Gold Looks Pink

Why antique gold looks pink: how copper makes rose, pink and red gold, what 56 zolotnik and Soviet 583 mean, why rose...

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A signed Solvar Claddagh ring in 10k yellow gold, with two hands holding a crowned heart.
October 2026

Claddagh Ring Meaning: Which Hand, Which Way, and Where It Came From

Claddagh ring meaning: what the hands, heart and crown stand for, which hand and which way to wear it, where the design...

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An Art Deco onyx and diamond ring beside an old-cut diamond spray brooch and a Victorian gold locket with a pearl star, on green velvet.
October 2026

White Gold vs Platinum vs Silver: How to Tell Them Apart

White gold vs platinum vs silver: how to tell them apart by marks such as PT950, IRIDPLAT, 750 and 925, by weight...

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Hands examining the hallmarks inside an antique gold ring through a jeweler's loupe, with calipers and a sketchbook on the table.
October 2026

How to Tell If a Cartier Juste un Clou Is Real

How to tell if a Cartier Juste un Clou is real: Aldo Cipullo's 1970s nail design and its 2012 relaunch, nail head...

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Antique jewelry on green velvet in a gilt tray: a star-set gold locket, diamond cluster brooch, pear drop earrings, emerald ring, cameo and a brass loupe.
October 2026

Signed vs Unsigned Jewelry: Why a Maker's Mark Changes the Price

What a signature on jewelry really means: maker's marks vs retailer marks, signed vs attributed vs in the manner of, added signatures...

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Hands inspecting the hallmarks inside an antique gold ring with a jeweler's loupe, beside calipers and a sketchbook.
October 2026

How to Tell If Silver Is Real: 925, Sterling Marks and Simple Tests

How to tell if silver is real: what 925, Sterling and the lion passant mean, which marks such as EPNS and nickel...

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A Victorian gold locket with a pearl star, an old-cut diamond spray brooch and an Art Deco onyx and diamond ring on green velvet.
October 2026

Vintage Cartier Jewelry Beyond the Love Bracelet: Panthère, Trinity, Tutti Frutti and More

Vintage Cartier jewelry beyond the Love bracelet: the Panthère from the 1914 watch to the Duchess of Windsor brooch, the 1924 Trinity,...

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