QuestionA ring I own is stamped with 14K and also 10KT. I am curious why?
AnswerHi, Machel.
You give us an interesting question. There are three main possibilities why your ring has two karat quality stamps. Of these, one is legitimate and deliberate and the other two result from a mistake.
The deliberate stamping of multiple metal quality stamps is done according to jewelry marking regulations to tell the metal content of an item made of different types or qualities of metals. For example, there is a well known "designer" line of silver jewelry and the silver has 18k gold accents. The stamp is 925 for sterling and either 18k or 750 for the gold parts. The stamp assumes the seller or owner can tell which metal is which but that is not always the case. For instance, platinum is an excellent metal for a stone setting, such as the prongs holding a gemstone in a solitaire ring. The band may be made of 14k white or yellow gold with a platinum stone setting. The stamps will show both the 14k and the platinum mark.
What this means to you is that two stamps may mean the ring is made with a part which is 14k and a part which is 10k, a rather unusual circumstance I have not seen previously. I would have to look for an added on part such as a decorative trim or setting to believe there were two qualities of gold. If the ring is all one color, this would make no sense in the first place.
Here are the mistakes which can leave you with two quality marks: 1) The ring band has been repaired by having a new section of gold added and that new piece already had a quality mark on it of a different karat. This could be a mistake (picked up the wrong piece of gold for the job) or deliberate but generally a band repair uses the same karat as the original item. 2)The ring was stamped twice, once with the incorrect mark and the maker failed to remove that mark as should have been done.
If you are concerned enough about it, call around to jewelers and ask if they test gold. With so many jewelers and others testing gold as part of a "we buy gold" business, more will be set up to do testing than in years past. Call first because all jewelers do not provide this kind of service. Ask the charge up front.
Well, Machel, there you are. If you need more information or have a further question on this topic, feel free to use a follow-up to get back with me. Also, if you get a chance, please rate the answer so I will have a better feel of how I am doing out there. : ) Fair enough?
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
