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www.JoshGuide.com How to Recognize Jewelry Hallmarks Jewelry hallmarks are words, letters or symbols stamped directly into the metal. These markings can tell you important information about your jewelry, such as what metal it is made of, who made it and even how old it is. If it has a hallmark by a famous maker, your jewelry could also be more valuable, even if it is only costume jewelry. Learning to read the marks can also help you avoid buying fakes or substandard jewelry. 1. Learn to recognize English hallmarks for gold, silver and platinum. The British symbol for sterling silver is a walking lion. A crown represents gold, along with a number followed by “c” or “ct,” for karat weight on jewelry made from the 1700s to 1975. After that, just numbers represented gold purity: 375 for 9ct, 585 for 14ct, 750 for 18ct and 950 for 22ct. Numbers representing platinum are: 850, 900, 950 and 999. Date marks are a letter in a shield and can be decoded with a hallmark guide. Hallmark guides are available in book form or online. 2. Study hallmark guides to determine European hallmarks for precious metals. Every country has its own set of marks denoting the origin and the purity of metal. Most use a numbered system for gold, similar to the British modern system, but some are more cryptic and need a guide to decode them. Silver marks vary greatly; platinum is usually marked with a number and “PT.” 3. Learn how to read American hallmarks. American precious metals are straightforward in …