When buying a precious piece of jewelry, we pay attention to many factors. If we don’t touch on price and design now, then the sample comes to the fore. What is it and what do the little numbers on the inside of the product mean?
Gold, silver, platinum and other metals, from which precious jewelry is made, are never used in their pure form. And it is the hallmark mark that means exactly how much precious metal was used to produce the blank for the jewelry.
The markings adopted in our country clearly indicate what kind of metal is in front of us. And the law on “stamping” stipulates what standard should be on what metal. If we are talking about silver, then the highest standard will be 925.
Attention! All the talk that 925 standard can stand on gold is completely wrong. However, you can find such information on the Internet. It may come from unscrupulous or incompetent sellers.
Sample 75 what kind of metal is it - silver or gold
75 fineness of silver or gold is absent in all systems of measures that determine the proportions of the precious alloy. However, such an imprint can actually be seen on jewelry.
Markings may wear off over time due to regular wear and adverse factors.
It is likely that the 75 stamp on the silver jewelry is 875, where the number “8” has been erased. If the number 75 appears on a gold piece, it is likely a 750 marking where the “0” has become unreadable over time.
The laser method of branding jewelry, used everywhere, allows you to get an imprint, the service life of which is usually 5 years with daily wear of the jewelry. After this milestone, the numbers of the mark are often erased.
Gold ring
If imprint 75 is clearly visible, it is possible that this is an inverted sign of the Sunlight jewelry company. The “SL” mark is typical for their products.
If there are no markings on the piece of jewelry other than the abbreviation “SL,” then it is made of jewelry alloy. If the company name is indicated along with a three-digit number, then this is a precious piece of jewelry. The number will indicate the purity of the precious metal used; the higher it is, the more expensive the material used.
Van Cleef&Arpels
The history of the Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry house usually begins not with the official date - the opening of the boutique at 22 Place Vendôme and the registration of the brand, but with the registration of the marriage between the cutter Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels, the daughter of a gem dealer. For accuracy and completeness of the picture, we will name both dates: the wedding took place in 1896, and the jewelry store opened 10 years later, that is, in 1906. But there is another year that preserves the memory of an important event for the brand - 1938! It was this year that the Van Cleef & Arpels brand was officially registered - a rhombus with a Vendôme column.
Silver: properties of pure metal, the need for alloys
Silver is one of the three main noble metals. They are united by resistance to corrosion and oxidation, as well as natural rarity.
Lunar metal is malleable, very ductile, has maximum light reflectivity, and has a relatively high melting point - 962 °C. In its pure form it is used for casting bank bullion in many industries. In jewelry, it is almost always used in the form of an alloy with various impurities, since it does not have sufficient wear resistance.
Alloys allow you to improve various characteristics of silver, for example, increase wear resistance, change color, and improve machinability.
The alloying component of silver alloys is copper, less commonly platinum and palladium.
Silver 92.5%, what quality: reviews
Recently I was selling old jewelry. I took several photographs, created 1 advertisement, in which I indicated all the nuances and my phone number. Almost immediately they started calling, and in the evening they came and took everything. Before that, I tried to sell jewelry to a pawnshop: I chose more favorable conditions, read reviews. I even found out the silver rate at Sberbank. But they offered such a price that I almost fainted - very cheap. I won’t even try to donate jewelry there anymore, it’s just a shame to give it away for nothing.
Nadezhda L., Ivanovo
Yulia T., Krasnodar
Of all types of silver alloys, I prefer sterling. It looks noble, shines quite a bit, but the color is cold, metallic. If you take proper care, the jewelry will remain in the same condition. Mine are already 7 years old and still new (in appearance). I do not recommend using aggressive products; it is better to remove dark spots more often, but more gently. Once I forgot my ring in ammonia overnight. In the morning it was matte. I don’t know why this is so, but there was a reaction. Maybe the alloy was not of very high quality, and the result was disastrous.
Sterling contains copper, so I like it more than other types of silver 92.5% (they contain nickel, etc.). I will explain: the more significant the amount of ligature, the worse the product will wear. I’ve already tried it more than once, they all deteriorated, and over time they lost their color and shine.
Valentina P., Stavropol
Characteristics of the main samples
The mark on a silver piece of jewelry indicates the amount of pure precious metal contained in the alloy. The higher the number, the greater the percentage of silver relative to the total material.
Silver alloys are regulated by GOST 6836-80. All jewelry containing more than 30% precious metal is subject to branding.
800
The “800” marking indicates that for every 800 grams of pure silver there are 200 grams of impurities. The alloying component of this alloy is copper; due to its increased content, the material acquires a reddish tint.
800 sterling silver cutlery
800 sterling silver is a durable and malleable alloy that is almost never used to create jewelry. It is used to create dishes, household items, and souvenirs. The alloy is widespread abroad, especially in France, Italy, and Turkey.
830
The alloy contains 83% pure lunar metal. It is used mainly for making tableware. Particularly popular are sets, vases, and openwork cutlery made from this alloy.
875
875 test is quite common due to its relative cheapness and high strength. The alloy looks more attractive than lower grades, is suitable for creating regularly used household items, and oxidizes less.
Ligatures of this marking are copper, germanium, silicon.
875 standard with star: gold and silver
916
There are 916 grams of silver per kilogram of alloy, and the remainder is various impurities. Today, the test is practically not used in jewelry, but it was extremely common during the Soviet era.
How to choose the right silver. How to spot a fake
Due to the presence of additives in the silver alloy, it becomes possible to find out whether a given item contains argentum and how much it is in the composition. Reagents are used to test the properties of precious metals.
Pharmaceutical preparations: sulfur ointment and iodine
Features of the interaction of silver items with different means:
- iodine: apply 1-2 drops of the substance to the back of the object, the argentum will darken, the aurum will not, if stains on the ring with a valuable metal content of 92.5% still remain, this will make sure that there is no 925 gold;
- sulfur ointment: it is also applied to a silver object; the appearance of a dark stripe will indicate that this is real Ag.
Magnet
The more valuable the metal, the less the thing will be attracted to the source of the magnetic field. A bracelet containing 92.5% argentum remains motionless if the magnet is weak. The stronger it is, the higher the risk of moving the thing, since the composition contains additives that can react to external factors.
The ratio of samples, carats and old spools
There are 4 sampling systems in total:
- Lotovaya;
- Spool;
- Carat;
- Metric;
The metric system operates on the territory of Russia; its three-digit number indicates how much of the main precious metal is per 1000 grams of the entire alloy.
Hallmark on 24-karat gold
In Western European countries, Canada, and America, the carat system has been adopted. For precious products, values from 9 to 24 carats are provided, the numerical value indicates how many carats of the precious metal are in 24 carats of the entire alloy.
To convert a carat value to a metric value, you need to add it by 24, then multiply by 1000.
The spool system was based on the Russian pound, which contained 96 spools. Similar to the carat system, the spool markings indicated the number of spools in the entire alloy in relation to the Russian pound.
The lot system was based on the European mark, which contained 16 lots. For jewelry, values range from 6 to 16 lots. The lot value indicates the number of lots of precious metal in the entire alloy being assayed.
Type and location of the mark
Information about the product can be located in different parts of it:
- Rings are branded along the inner rim;
- On spoons, the sample should be looked for on the back of the handle;
- Bracelets and chains are branded next to the clasp;
- Earrings are branded based on the base or clasp;
The mark on a genuine precious product looks like this: first the code of the State Inspectorate is put, then the mark of the assay certificate, then the numerical value of the sample.
Samples Russia
The inspection code indicates the territory where the product was branded. The certification mark is individual for each country of origin. In Russia it looks like the head of a woman wearing a kokoshnik.
Information about the silver product should be inscribed inside a figure resembling a barrel. On gold jewelry, the figure will have the shape of a spatula, information about platinum alloys is inscribed inside the octagon.
Methods of applying stamps
Jewelry is branded in three main ways: using a laser, mechanically and electrospark method. The method is selected depending on the size and price of the finished product. This is done so that elegant and small products are not spoiled by sloppy printing. Therefore, these methods are developed and improved over time. Each of them has a number of advantages and disadvantages.
- The mechanical method is considered the roughest. Impressions are made with special tools - jackhammers. In this case, the product is firmly fixed in a vice. This method is the oldest and most durable; it has been known since the 17th century. It does not spoil the appearance of the product, which is why it is used in more than 80% of cases. Now this method is automated, and jewelry is branded on an assembly line.
- In some cases, there is still a risk of scratches and deformation, then a more accurate type of marking for a particular product is chosen - the electric spark method is one of them. In this case, the print is made by burning the design using sparks. This application will last a long time even on thin items. The mark is applied using this method only on a flat surface. This method is more modern, it is about 50 years old.
- The most difficult and costly is the branding of jewelry using a laser machine. The impression is durable and invisible. However, the laser performance is low. There is another advantage of the laser - the brand can be convex. Such a mark is not applied to places that are constantly in contact with the skin: on the inside of the ring it can be erased even in less than 5 years.
Thus, the method of applying a brand is selected taking into account all the advantages and disadvantages of a particular method. In some cases, the control chamber may agree with the manufacturer on the methodology used. This is especially true for products with large expensive stones and elegant contours. It is very important not to spoil their appearance so that the product does not lose its value.
A product without a stamp is a fake; such a product is not valued and cannot be sold or pawned. Always before purchasing expensive jewelry, inquire about its origin and carefully examine the sample. Selling jewelry without a hallmark is a violation of existing laws for the sale of products made of precious metals.
Forging a stamp on gold is not easy and not everyone will do it, as it is a very risky activity. Most often, a higher standard is set, which does not correspond to the quality of the product. Such products are mainly sold in small stores and online. Very rarely do they end up in decent retail outlets. It is almost impossible to identify a well-made fake by eye; jewelers use a special touchstone for this. Therefore, carefully study the brand before purchasing - it must have clear, even contours, all parts of the code must be made with high quality and be easy to read.
Table: cost of silver depending on the standard
In order to find out the current price of any silver alloy, you need to multiply the price of pure silver by the required coefficient. The price of the purest precious metal is set daily by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, based on the values of the London Stock Exchange.
The table below contains the approximate cost of silver alloys, the values are current for 2021.
| Try | Cost 1 gram |
| 999 | 60 rubles |
| 960 | 57.6 rubles |
| 925 | 55.5 rubles |
| 875 | 52.5 rubles |
| 830 | 49.8 rubles |
| 800 | 48 rubles |
Question-answer section:
What does 75 silver hallmark mean? Is there such a test?
Expert opinion
Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich
Jeweler 6th category
The specified marking does not exist. Probably, what you see is 875 lunar metal, where the number “8” has been erased over time. Also, the number “75” may actually be an inverted sign of the Sunlight jewelry company. If the seller assures you that the silver is genuine 75, be sure that they are trying to deceive you.
