Question
ring
Hi, i recently purchased a ring marked .93 950 K14. It is a silver colored band with two gold pieces on top. My question is that i purchased it as a Silver and gold ring but now i have seen that platinum is marked 950. Is there sterling jewelry that is marked 950 as well? I am also wondering if it is American made or from another country because of it being marked K14 instead of 14K. I plan on having it acid tested to find out the metal content but would appreciate any knowledge you have on the subject. Thank you.
AnswerBrandy, thanks for the image. For next time, you could make the picture a good 400% larger and it will be taken on the site ok. Until fairly recently allexperts had no image capability and in my work with jewelry making an answer clear in technical methods of the work, etc., was next to impossible. Whew..glad to have pictures.
You ring looks in the photo to be not unlike other rings I have seen which are sterling and gold. I have also seen platinum and yellow gold rings of similar style, generally a band to go with an engagement ring made the same but with a stone setting in the center of the top. As a band alone, this design is quite nice. Unfortunately, the photo will not tell me what the metal testing will truly let you know.
The K14 does sound like foreign manufacture and stamping. Honestly, Brandy, more rings are made in other countries and imported than made in the USA. From India, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Greece to many other countries jewelry manufacture is outsourced by American companies or manufactured and simply exported to the USA from those countries. India now has a strong jewelry capability and is making moves to export more and more jewelry of the styles and designs accepted in many other countries. Other countries are doing the same.
The 950 does not sound silver to me. Yes, platinum may be marked 950 but so may palladium. Without a metal mark such as PT or PD we do not know the metal of reference for the 950, if it is a metal quality mark. 950 silver is made once in a while but is not common. I believe much of the 950 silver is coming from Mexico. This would be silver of higher fine silver content than sterling (925) and the 950 I suppose is to have more market appeal.
Your test should reveal the metals. Do not be surprised if the metal actually is 950 silver. The acid test will not show the difference in 950 or 925 silver but will show if of high silver content which will eliminate platinum or palladium. If you struck it rich with platinum, more smiles to you!
God Bless and Peace, to Brandy. Thomas. August 5, 2008 7:15pm
