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Precious Metals: What You Should Know.
Make sure that jewelry containing precious metal(s) is marked in compliance with the law.
The item's karatage must be identified to you in some way (verbally, through signage, etc.) e.g.; 14K, 18K.
___ If an item is stamped to indicate the quality of metal it contains, it must have a trademark in close proximity to the quality mark. (A trademark is a symbol stamped next to the quality mark and may be initials or a logo to identity the make of the item.)
Platinum
Items containing 950 parts per thousand (95%) may be marked as platinum.
Items that are 85% or 95% platinum must be marked with the platinum content. Examples: 900Pt, 850Pt.
Items containing less than 85% platinum must detail the platinum group metal. Example: 750Pt200Irid. Total parts must equal 950 (95%).
Note: Platinum group metals are: Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Iridium, Ruthenium and Osmium.
Gold
10 karat gold is the minimum fineness of gold that may be sold in the U.S. Jewelry under 10kt fineness may not be sold as gold.
Jewelry is made of many different types of gold: solid gold, gold plate, gold filled, gold overlay, gold electroplate, gold flashed/washed or rolled gold plated.
Silver
Silver/Sterling Silver means that 925 parts per thousand (or 92.5%) of the item is made of pure silver.
Silverplate describes a product made of base metal and layered (or plated) with silver.
Silver coins contain 900 parts per thousand (or 90%) pure silver.
Fine jewelry is made of either Gold or Platinum. For a more detailed description of the differences between Gold and Platinum, click on this informative link:
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