WHAT DO THE LETTERS MEAN?

10k CN [D]???

I get so many emails on this a day, it’s insane.

People want to know what the letters or numbers mean that are stamped inside their rings.

Examples would be:

• 4K WB
• T.H.E.,U w/ an arrow run through it
• 750 & 110 VR
• IBB
• 9CI CJM
• CAL
• MAZ
• ZC
• lkk
• MA
• a\

Most people already know what some of the words and numbers mean, like 14K, PLAT, SS, .585 (and if not, see my full list of stamps and numbers here). But the letters that usually ajoin these are very different indeed.

9 times out of ten, they don’t refer to the ring at all. As in, the type of metal it is, or the actual gemstones or diamonds, or even the carat weight or ring size… (normal things that are generally marked inside the ring shank).

Letters are often 1 of 3 things:

1. The initials of the Goldsmith (the person who carved and created your ring)
2. The initials of the Jeweler (the company that sells the link, like Tiffany or Hearts on Fire)
3. The initials or logo of the Manufacturer who produces the ring.

It’s like me putting “RS” inside a band. It’s meaningful to me, and I can identify my own work, but it’s not very helpful to anyone else.

With 7.4 billion people on Earth, and with thousands and thousands of designers, jewelry stores and manufacturers, it’s easy to see that the initials and letters and numbers could be anything:

• 3 stars
• 255
• M276
• 1925
• D with square around it
• C 25
• G 97 E
• 08 9
• HB
• G3
• IB25

RS MEANS:

The “RS” I used as an example could refer to Richard Scott, Robin Starling, Ralph Sherlock, Raymond Stores… or whomever.

It could be endless searching for the right RS. That’s also why I started another post for unidentified jewelry stamps, to keep track of them all and to allow others to help identify these crazy letters, symbols and numbers…

Plus, keep in mind that the ring stamp may have not been hit hard enough? Maybe only a portion of the actual stamp (like the 4K shown in the image) made it to the ring? Or, maybe some of the letters or numbers got rubbed away by normal wear and tear? Maybe they were polished out? Maybe the ring was repaired or sized and the letters got cut out?

In reality, you’ll probably never know what exactly happened or what it is.

There’s no official list anywhere that people can put their identifying marks on, so everyone would know.

It’s all just a big mystery

(They do sell jeweler’s hallmark stamp books that lists many of the more popular ones, and it could help you.)

So if you’ve got something in your ring that doesn’t make sense, either ask the jeweler that you bought it from, take it to an antique dealer (they got a good eye for this), or leave it in the comments below, and maybe someone else will know.

Cheers! :)