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.

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

What 333, 375, 585, 750, 916 and 999 mean on gold, how they convert to karats, which marks such as GP, GF,...

How to tell if gold is real: the stamp, wear and magnet checks you can do at home, the density test done...

How to read vintage Gucci jewelry marks, including the Italian 750 and star-number-province maker's mark, tell solid gold from gilt and fakes,...

Cartier Love bracelet real vs fake: Aldo Cipullo's 1969 design, where the serial number and hallmarks sit, screw and motif alignment, weight...

9k and 10k are real gold, and in antique jewelry they are often the smart buy. The karat maths, the 1854 British...

How to tell if a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra is real: the perlée border, stone fit, clasp, serial number and hallmarks,...

How to read vintage Tiffany jewelry marks, tell real from fake (including Return to Tiffany), why gold pieces are so much rarer...

Most antique rings carry no usable hallmark. Dating them is a matter of reading construction: the cut of the stones, how the...

Art Deco is the most reproduced era in jewelry, and “Deco style” does a lot of quiet work in listings. Eight checks...