The stamp "417 Italy" on a piece of gold jewelry means that its purity is 10 karat gold and its origin is Italian. The "417" also indicates that it is 41.7 percent gold.Know More
Italian-made gold jewelry has the reputation of being the finest and most elegant. Gold jewelry with these markings doesn't necessarily always mean that it was made in Italy. It can also mean that the piece was made by an Italian system and machinery, which is known for great quality.
The pureness of the gold is expressed in percentages. The value stamps applied to the jewelry vary throughout the world. Jewelry made in Europe has a three digit number, such as "999," which indicates that the gold piece is 99.9 percent pure. However, in most parts of America, this value is shown as "24K," which means that the piece is 24 karat gold.
Gold jewelry is composed of a percentage of other metals, mostly alloys, and a percentage of gold. Gold is soft as opposed to all other metals, which are hard. Pieces with a higher percentage of gold purity are softer and have a more intense yellow color. Because it is so soft 24 karat gold is rarely used for jewelry because it is very soft.Learn more about Currency & Conversions
The stamp "18K HGE" on a piece of jewelry means that it is 18 karat gold with heavy gold electroplate. The "HGE" portion of the stamp means that it is heavy gold electroplate. Brass is another commonly used substance in jewelry.Full Answer >
While most genuine Spanish doubloons are museum pieces, each one was minted as a 7-gram piece of gold, which at today's rates would sell for about $289. However, various dealers offer pieces from a wide range of dates at prices ranging from $2,500 to $4,500.Full Answer >
The $20 gold piece was a coin minted in the United States from 1849 to 1933 that contains slightly less than one ounce of gold. Two versions of the $20 gold piece, which is also sometimes called the Double Eagle, were minted during its 84-year production run.Full Answer >
Determine if gold is real by looking for a hallmark purity stamp, checking for magnetic attraction or performing a nitric acid test. Real gold is not attracted to a magnet and does not react when tested with nitric acid. Additionally, real gold is heavy and will sink when dropped into a jug of water, so if a piece of jewelry floats, it's unlikely that it's made of real gold.Full Answer >