Marked ring
- Thread starter stci
- Start date
sphenequeen
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2009
- Messages
- 640
There are several reasons for this -
The first is that depending on when/where the ring was made, there may have not been a law regulating the hallmarking of the purity of the gold. In some countries and during some periods of time, you simply did not have to stamp your pieces.
Second, the shank of the ring may have been sized over several generations and the gold hallmark may have been removed.
Third, if it is the original shank, the shank may be worn so thin that the hallmark has simply rubbed off over time.
Lastly (and there are certainly more answers for this question, I am sure), check areas that are not traditional to stamp a gold hallmark, such as the outside, rather than the inside of the shank (such as some French and Russian Hallmarks) to see if that leads you anywhere in terms of gold purity. Certain countries traditionally use certain gold purities.
A simple acid test can prove the purity of the gold.
I hope this helps!
The first is that depending on when/where the ring was made, there may have not been a law regulating the hallmarking of the purity of the gold. In some countries and during some periods of time, you simply did not have to stamp your pieces.
Second, the shank of the ring may have been sized over several generations and the gold hallmark may have been removed.
Third, if it is the original shank, the shank may be worn so thin that the hallmark has simply rubbed off over time.
Lastly (and there are certainly more answers for this question, I am sure), check areas that are not traditional to stamp a gold hallmark, such as the outside, rather than the inside of the shank (such as some French and Russian Hallmarks) to see if that leads you anywhere in terms of gold purity. Certain countries traditionally use certain gold purities.
A simple acid test can prove the purity of the gold.
I hope this helps!
LGK
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2007
- Messages
- 2,975
I'll add something too. I work in an antique mall with estate jewelry and antique jewelry and I'd say fully half of the rings I see are not marked.
When a ring is sized, the assay mark is usually polished off, and rarely does a jeweler bother to restamp it afterwards. Most of the rings I see at work w/o stamps, are also rings that have been sized, so my guess is that most of the time that's the reason.
The other reasons sphenequeen mentioned are also quite true.
When a ring is sized, the assay mark is usually polished off, and rarely does a jeweler bother to restamp it afterwards. Most of the rings I see at work w/o stamps, are also rings that have been sized, so my guess is that most of the time that's the reason.
The other reasons sphenequeen mentioned are also quite true.
jewelerman
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2007
- Messages
- 3,107
iI agree with whats already been explained...one good guild line to use with american jewelry iis the stamp act of 1908...a law that made it manditory for american jewelry manufactors and distributors(like sears or jc penney catologs)to have purity (and in some cases the origin)stamped on the piece that is only 1/2 karat in puriry off from plumb on the stamp.There is a 1981 law that states that american made gold jewelry must be plumb(exactly the karat stamped.)One reason for the 1908 law was that catologs would call a ring gold and send a piece that was low karat(like 10kt)and the buyer was believing it was high karat gold instead.Keep in mind that just because its stamped dosnt mean it was made after 1908...many companies used hallmarks for purity on their jewelry way before this guild line date.
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