What Does 950 Mean On Jewelry? (Stamp Explained!)

Many pieces of jewelry have markings or symbols that are stamped on them, but not many people know what the markings mean.

So, what does it mean when Jewelry is marked or stamped with “950”?

Jewelry is marked or stamped with a 950 if they are 95% pure metal and 5% alloy metal. The 950 mark means that the metal the Jewelry is made out of is nearly completely pure and of high quality. Silver, platinum, and palladium Jewely are typically marked with 950, as well as other silver metals.

Now that you know a little bit about why rings are marked with 950, you may be wondering what the other numbers that are stamped on jewelry mean.

Most Jewelries have something if you look closely!

What Jewelry Are Marked 950?

Silver, platinum, and palladium jewelry, typically rings, are marked with a 950 or lower.

Other metals, such as gold, will be marked with numbers such as 916, 750, and 375 to signify how pure the metal of the jewelry is.

The higher the number is, the more pure the metal is, and the more expensive it becomes.

Metals other than silver, platinum, and palladium are not typically marked with a 950 because the jewelry that is made of metals such as gold or copper is not as pure as silver-colored rings.

Pure gold is usually too soft of a metal to be made into jewelry without a significant amount of metal alloy.

If a ring was made out of nearly pure gold, it would become scratched and damaged within a few days.

Silver, platinum, and palladium are all strong enough metals to withstand damage without a lot of aid from metal alloys, so jewelers can make almost purely silver or platinum rings and mark them with a 950.

Rings that are made out of silver, platinum, and palladium are also commonly marked with a 900, which means they are made out of 90% pure metal and 10% alloy.

What Do the Other Stamped Numbers Mean?

When making rings, jewelers stamp the carat weight of the metal the ring is made out of on the inside of the ring next to the markings that tell the jeweler how pure the metal is.

While platinum and silver rings are typically marked with a PT or S and a number, gold and other fine metals are typically marked with their carat weight.

Are the Markings on the Inside of Rings Important?

The markings that are made on the inside of rings are important to jewelers, appraisers, and insurance companies.

The markings make it very easy for appraisers to accurately appraise the ring that they are looking at.

Without the number, it would be very hard to appraise rings in a timely manner.

The markings on the inside of rings are important to jewelers because the numbers help them determine how much the ring is really worth and how much they can charge for it.

In a way, the numbers on the inside of rings help jewelers make money, so they are very important to jewelers.

The markings on the inside of rings help insurance companies determine how much to charge the owner of the ring in order to insure it as well.

It also helps them avoid insuring a practically worthless ring, as it is very hard to make the markings without the proper equipment, so not many people can engrave them properly.

It can be hard to fake markings like this, so a marked ring is usually an official one.

The stamped numbers on the inside of rings are not very important to many people, but they are important to people who care about the purity of the metals that their jewelry is made of.

Many people have metal allergies, so the purity of their jewelry is important to those who are allergic to some metals since a ring made out of impure metal could potentially harm them.

In day-to-day life, the markings on the inside of rings are not very important.

They are very hard to see with the naked eye and they are usually hidden on the inside of the ring, tucked against your finger.

Because of this, not many people even notice the markings, as they are more concerned about the outside of the ring rather than what is on the inside of the ring band.

Ultimately, it is up to you whether or not the markings that are inside of rings are important to you and your needs.

They are always nice to know about, especially if you want to get the ring appraised or insured.

However, they do not influence the look or feel of the ring as the markings or stamps are very small and are meant to be nearly unnoticeable.

What Metals are Used as Alloys?

Many metals are used as alloys, but the most common ones are:

• Ruthenium
• Copper
• Cobalt
• Rhodium
• Palladium
• Iridium
• Lead
• Nickel
• Manganese
• Aluminum
• Platinum
• Copper

Many people don’t think about the purpose of metal alloys in jewelry—they mainly care about the purity of the metal the jewelry is made of.

Metal alloys are actually very important to the strength and durability of jewelry, as they make the metal of the jewelry stronger.

For example, nickel is added to jewelry to add toughness and make the jewelry more scratch-resistant and durable.

Copper is added to jewelry to improve the metal’s resistance against corrosion, which makes the jewelry last longer and look beautiful.

Manganese is added to jewelry to improve the strength of the metal and make it more resistant to heat, as some metal jewelry can become slightly warped in high temperatures, and no one likes wearing warped jewelry.
Source

Metal alloys are very useful when they are added to jewelry, especially rings.

While they may decrease the purity of the expensive metal that is being used to make the ring, they make the ring stronger and more durable, which makes it more likely that customers will purchase the ring, because they know that the ring will not get scratched or break easily.

Many people would rather wear a ring that is made with durable metal rather than a ring that is pure silver or gold, because of the long-lasting quality.

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