How to Read Gold Jewelry Hallmarks Most Accurately

The symbols on gold jewelry carry significant information about the product's quality and origin. This is not only true for gold but also crucial when choosing diamonds or diamond-encrusted products like diamond rings, men's diamond rings, women's diamond rings, diamond earrings, or diamond pendants. 

This is all information you need to know if you're planning to buy gold. To make a wise choice, buyers should thoroughly research the meaning of each symbol. Read the following article from Jemmia to understand better!

What is the purpose of symbols on gold rings?

The symbols engraved on gold rings are an indispensable process in the manufacturing and crafting of gold and silver jewelry. When customers invest in any jewelry, they often carefully check information such as brand, gold content, etc.

Therefore, engraving symbols on products, gold jewelry, including gold bars, is an extremely important factor that businesses always focus on. They always strive to ensure that necessary information is clearly displayed while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the jewelry.

Most detailed symbols on gold rings

The symbols engraved on gold rings often vary in letters and sizes. The symbols may differ depending on the business:

Table of symbols on gold jewelry: 

Logos and Company Names

For large and reputable companies like Doji, PNJ, SJC, etc., adding a logo to a ring is also a strategy to increase product value and highlight the brand.

The symbolic logos on gold rings are not only a unique identifier for brands but also a way to differentiate products. Many companies even engrave their own slogans on rings to create a highlight and express their business philosophy.

Note: Understanding brand symbols and gold content also helps customers easily compare different product lines. For example, when looking at diamond ring prices, you'll find that most ring settings use 18K gold (AU 750) to ensure sufficient hardness for gemstone setting.

Gold Content

The symbol for gold content on rings is a crucial factor and is usually denoted by the letter "K". Typically, on gold rings, these symbols are marked as: AU 24K, AU 18K, 14K, 10K, etc. They can also be marked as Ct or Kt, which are abbreviations for "Karat". Many companies may also use the percentage (%) unit for marking.

Here is some common information about gold content you can refer to:

• Gold content approximately 37.5%: 9K gold
• Gold content approximately 41.67%: 10K gold
• Gold content approximately 58.33%: 14K gold
• Gold content approximately 62.50%: 15K gold
• Gold content approximately 75%: 18K gold
• Gold content approximately 95.83%: 22K gold
• Gold content approximately 100%: 24K gold

The 24K symbol is considered the highest gold content type available today, while the remaining components are usually other metals like silver, copper, and palladium. 24K gold is more malleable than other products because it contains other metals, making it harder.

Common symbols on gold rings

According to the law issued in 2013, gold symbols on rings are engraved according to rules and authorities as follows:

GP symbol: This is a symbol used to indicate rings made from other metals with an outer layer coated with gold.

GF symbol: GF represents rings made from other metals with a core that is a layer of gold filled in.

XP symbol on gold rings: This is an abbreviation for "Plated" in English and is often used to refer to luxurious gold-plated products. XP is commonly used on gold rings or other costume jewelry.

Products with the XP symbol are relatively inexpensive but still have beautiful and diverse designs. If your budget doesn't allow for high gold content products, costume jewelry is also a good option.

C symbol: This symbol represents products made from copper and gold. They are coated on the outside with a non-metallic material that has high transparency.

P symbol: The letter P on gold rings indicates jewelry coated with a layer of another metal or compound that is not gold. It can also be a pure gold product with an additional layer of alloy or metal, with the total pure gold content accounting for 1/4 of the ring's weight.

Other symbols on gold rings

Depending on the size and design of each ring model, jewelers will consider engraving additional information such as serial numbers, manufacturing dates, etc. 

Additionally, customers can request custom engravings, most commonly seen on couple rings and wedding rings.

See also: 

• How Much Do Yellow Gold Wedding Rings Cost? Which Type Should You Buy?
• Engagement Rings: Luxurious Gold or Delicate Silver?
• Top 15 Beautiful White Gold Diamond Rings for Men and Women 2025

Regulations on engraving symbols on gold rings

The regulations for engraving symbols on gold rings are considered mandatory requirements that businesses in the gold trading sector must comply with, according to Article 7 of Circular 22/2013/TT-BKHCN of the Ministry of Science and Technology. This circular stipulates the management of measurements in gold trading and the quality management of gold jewelry and fine arts on the market.

According to regulations, the engraving of symbols on gold products and jewelry must be carried out in accordance with Decree No. 43/2017/ND-CP of the Government on goods labeling. Gold jewelry labels must be directly displayed on the products through various methods such as mechanical engraving, laser engraving, relief engraving, sunken engraving, or other methods.

If the product's size and structure do not allow for this, the required information must be displayed on accompanying documentation. Therefore, gold symbols on rings and gold bars appear most frequently. For other products, the presence of symbols is less common than on gold, depending on aesthetics and size.

Above is the information that Jemmia has shared to help you better understand the meaning of symbols on gold jewelry. This will give you a comprehensive overview. If you are considering buying gold rings, try to grasp this information!