QuestionHello Thomas! I am in need of your assistance! I have recently acquired a small gold wedding band and i have a couple of questions about certain markings. On the inside of the band there are two small engravings. They read " pms("ms" is underlined) and 10KP. I have come to understand that 10KP means 10 Karat Plumb(10K gold, but I still have yet to find what the pms stands for. Could you help me?
AnswerAudrey, you are correct on the marking meaning "plumb". When the standards for stamping jewelry items changed around 1978, jewelers had to stick to closer tolerances in the amount of fine gold to make any particular karat. The "P" for plumb means essentially "on the mark" as with a plumb bob used to show a line at 90 degrees with the ground to make the construction straight and not leaning one way or the other. The standards do allow a slight variance in gold used but are a lot tighter than before. Makers wanted folks to know their new products met the new standards and the plumb mark was used. Today, it is only rarely seen and then is usually on an item from that earlier time.
The pms is most likely the makers mark as it has no relation to approved marks for gold standards.
Out of curiosity, those are also the abbreviations for the Pantone Matching System, a standard used to match colors from one industry to another and printer to another printer, whether printing fabric or a magazine. This latter use of the initials of course has nothing to do with jewelry.
Audrey, that is it. I would have to see the ring in my hands to tell any more.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
