How to read hallmarks

The hallmark tells you how much gold or silver an item contains. Get out a magnifying glass and look inside the ring, on the clasp or on the back of the spoon.

Gold
Hallmark	Means	Common on
999	24 carat 99.9% gold	Bars, investment coins
916	22 carat 91.6% gold	Gold coins, jewellery from India and Asia
875	21 carat 87.5% gold	Jewellery from the Middle East
750	18 carat 75% gold	Most common in Swedish jewellery
585	14 carat 58.5% gold	Rings and chains, often imported
375	9 carat 37.5% gold	British jewellery

Silver
Hallmark	Means	Common on
999	Fine silver 99.9% silver	Bars and coins
925	Sterling 92.5% silver	Jewellery and modern cutlery
830	830 silver 83% silver	Swedish silver after 1912
813H	13 lod 81.3% silver	Swedish silver before 1912
800	800 silver 80% silver	German and continental silver

Swedish hallmarks

Gold and silver items made in Sweden traditionally carry a row of four marks:

Three crowns, the control mark, often called kattfoten. It has been used since 1759 and shows that the purity has been checked.
The town mark, which shows where the item was made. Stockholm's, for example, is S:t Erik's head.
The date mark, a letter and a number giving the year of manufacture, which can be looked up in a date table.
The maker's mark, the initials of the goldsmith or workshop, for example GAB for Guldsmedsaktiebolaget.

Marks that do not mean gold or silver

GF, GP, RGP, 18K GE: gold-filled or gold-plated. Very little gold.
EPNS, NS, nysilver, alpacka: silver-plated or a silver-coloured alloy.
Doublé: a thin layer of gold over another metal.

Not sure? Bring the item to a valuation day and we will test it free of charge.

Tell us what you want to sell

Answer a few short questions and we will get back to you as soon as we can. You can also call us directly.

Phone: 070-027 95 22
Email: info@guldarvnorden.se
Contact person: Istvan Erdelyi

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