The Truth About Makers Mark and .925 Sterling Silver Stamped Jewelry   

 There's a lot of misinformation out there about stamped jewelry. Most people think that all jewelry is stamped with its precious metal content, but that's actually not the case. In fact, U.S. law does not require makers of precious metal jewelry to stamp an item with its precious metal content. So, what does the law require? 

     "If a jewelry maker wants to stamp jewelry by its quality or "fineness" (e.g., "14 gold," "925 sterling silver," or "950 platinum"), then, in addition to the fineness stamp, the maker must stamp the metal with its federally registered trademark. This second stamp, which should be in proximity to the quality mark, indicates that the maker is liable for the amount of precious metal the jewelry contains."

     So, why don't all jewelers stamp their jewelry? There are a few reasons. First, some jewelers make their own metals and alloys, so they don't need to stamp their products. Second, some jewelers use recycled metals, which may not be stamped because they don't know the original source of the metal. And finally, some jewelers simply choose not to stamp their products because they feel it detracts from the aesthetics of the piece.