So how do you know that what you (ie any USA person) have is gold? Do you have consumer protection from fake precious metals (which is basically what UK/ European hallmarking is)?
9/10/18K stamps/ punches are easily available over the internet - what's to stop some nasty dodgy person/ or a foreign company buying these, stamping some naff metal themselves and selling it as gold in the States?
I genuinely interested in this, I know so little about USA gold practices
Hi Tiastreasures
In the UK the terms
stamp and
hallmark are two completely different things. A stamp (ie 14K) on its own is not legally recognised, while a hallmark (eg Lions head (for london), finesse scales, crown, date letter etc) is legal.
The first ring sounds like it may be some kind of hallmark, but without seeing it I can't guarantee. The 1965 set that has PLAT on it is not hallmarked, but stamped, so in the UK to be properly legal it would either have to be described:
"as grey/ white metal with the letters P.L.A.T on"
Or sent to an assay office to be finesse checked/ UK hallmarked.
Any jewellery that is just stamped with the symbols 14K/ 18K (and maybe a little goldsmiths makers mark) is not legally recognised here in the UK. It would have to be described:
"as yellow metal stamped with the numbers 1.4.and k"
Or sent to an assay ofice for finesse testing/ Uk hallmarking.
For example, I've heard about someone who got a 22ct gold bracelet in India, taken it to be hallmarked, and the assay office found it to be between 19-21ct gold, so they hallmarked it for 18ct gold. It is now legal for that person to sell the bracelet as gold (ie 18ct). I've heard that 10k jewellery, when properly assayed is usually hallmarked as 9ct gold, then it can be sold legally as gold.
It's complicated I know, but at least I know that if I have a UK hallmarked 18ct gold ring, it IS 18ct gold and not less or even a fake
. That's why UK and European Hallmarked gold/ silver etc is so respected worldwide.
BTW I'm not saying that your gold jewellery is fake Tia! I'm just saying what happens in my country
.