This is a question that many people ask, as it can be confusing. A 750 gold stamp means that the item bearing this stamp contains 75% pure gold and 25% other metals. The 750 stamp is frequently used to represent the carat of jewellery and indicates that they are of high quality or, in other terms, made from 18ct Solid Gold.
What does 750 mean on a Hallmark Stamp?
The 750 Gold stamp is an Internationally accepted hallmarking stamp to show the fineness of the item or its gold carat stamp, also known as Karat. The hallmarking system was developed to make it easier for consumers to identify the composition and purity of jewellery and other precious metals items.
The fineness of a gold jewellery item is a number that indicates the amount of gold in it, in parts per thousand. This can also be expressed as gold carat, another measure of purity, which shows the gold content in parts of 24.
The highest purity level for gold is 24 carat, or in other words, fineness of 999.9, which is pure gold. Taking this convention 18 carat gold refers to a gold fineness of 750.
When it comes to determining the purity of gold, this can be quickly checked from a hallmark stamp as it will indicate how many carats the item is or how much fine gold (fineness) is contained within the article.
18 carat gold is used for fine jewellery, including wedding rings and is today regarded as a luxury jewellery item. Compared to 9ct (375 mark) or 14k or 14ct gold, 18 carat solid gold jewellery will not tarnish or lose its lustre. On the other hand, 24 carat pure gold is a very soft metal and makes it impractical to wear as jewellery, as it can be scratched and dented quite easily. Due to this, pure gold is mixed with alloys like silver, copper, platinum or palladium to make long-lasting jewellery pieces.
Gold stamp markings can be found on many different types of gold jewellery, including necklaces, earrings, rings and watches.
Is 18K or 18ct gold the same as 750 Hallmark Stamp?
The simple answer is yes and no, and this is for various reasons outlined below.
A hallmark stamp with a gold fineness indicates that the piece is made from % pure gold. For example, 750 means that the item has 75 percent pure gold and 25 percent other metals, or it is 18k, 18 carats or 18ct. However, when marking a gold item produced from 75% pure gold, the term “18k” isn’t used internationally.
Furthermore, nowadays, 18ct Gold for a product’s title does not imply it is composed of 75% pure gold. Therefore, check the product’s description and ensure it has the following hallmark stamp to determine if it is made of 75 percent pure gold or it is merely plated to 18ct gold standard or it is 18ct Gold Vermeil. If an article of jewellery is plated, it has to contain the word plated, and the same goes for Vermeil. Jewellery pieces not made from solid gold will be hallmarked differently to show the actual precious metal contained in them. For example, 18ct Gold Vermeil Jewellery is made with Sterling Silver as the base metal with a thin coating of 18ct solid gold; in this case, the jewellery piece will be marked as Sterling Silver, denoted by 925 stamp.
What does a 750 gold stamp marking look like?
The hallmarks for gold jewellery are a common way to identify the purity in gold jewellery, maker/sponsor of the item and the Assay office, which checked it independently. A legal 750 gold marking is a stamp applied to gold jewellery made of 18ct solid gold. The stamp guarantees the minimum, pure gold content of 75% in the item. The symbol will be in the form of the images below:
Common Control Marks traditionally consisted of four punch marks:
- The sponsor’s mark is the signature of the individual or firm that has had an item assayed and hallmarked.
- An assay office mark showed which assay office it was tested in the UK.
- A date mark, which showed the year it was assayed.
- A standard mark, which showed the type of metal and its purity.
In 1973 Hallmarking act removed the date mark and left the assay office mark, sponsor/maker and the fineness as the compulsory hallmarks on an item.
What colour is 750 gold?
There is no definitive answer to this question as different people may have different opinions on 750 gold. However, it is generally accepted that 750 gold is a light yellow or champagne colour. Some people also say that it has a slightly pinkish hue to it. The most common colour is yellow gold, composed of silver or copper as an alloy. When yellow gold is combined with silver, another noble metal, it’s highly hypoallergenic — unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. This also makes it more durable than other colours of gold.
Gold jewellery comes mainly in three colours: yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold. 750 pink gold is lighter than rose gold and is not seen very often. There are many other colours of gold, including green, grey, purple, blue and black. However, these colours are not very common and are usually only used in special pieces.
White gold is also a very popular option for jewellery. It is made by combining gold with silver, platinum or palladium. Platinum or palladium makes white gold even more durable and scratch-resistant. In addition, white gold jewellery is often coated with rhodium to make it look white.
Rose gold is a type of gold composed of copper as an alloy. The copper in the gold gives its pink colour. The higher the copper content, the pinker the rose gold will be. Rose gold is very popular for jewellery, especially in Europe and Asia.
How is purity applications determined? – Investment gold
HM Revenue and Customs define investment gold as the gold of purity not less than 995 thousandths in the form of a bar, or a wafer, of a weight accepted by the bullion markets.
This implies that gold coins and 24-carat gold bullion bars with a purity of more than 22 carats are known as investment gold.
When it comes to determining the purity of gold, the key thing that needs to be considered is the carat of the gold. The Karat of the gold is how many parts out of 24 are pure gold. So, if you have a gold item that’s 18 karats, this means it contains 18/24ths or 75% pure gold.
Gold investors generally would not consider buying anything less than 22-carat gold unless they look for a specific type of gold product.
The value of gold investment coins is usually determined by the amount of pure gold they contain, with any other metals excluded. For example, ‘One-ounce’ gold coins minted in less than 24-carat gold 99.99% pure gold will weigh more than 1 ounce but always contain one ounce of pure gold. The extra weight represents the additional weight of the alloys used in minting those coins.
The American Eagle Gold Coins are a great example of this. The One Ounce American Eagle Gold coin is minted in 22-carat gold (.9167) and weighs 33.9 grams; however, it has 31.103 gram (1 troy ounce) pure gold.
Although the American Eagle coin is minted in 22-carat gold, its value is calculated as a 24-carat pure 1 ounce gold despite its overall weight being greater. This is because it contains pure gold content of 31.103 grams only.