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WHAT’S KARAT PLUMB?

WHAT IS KP, KARAT PLUMB THAT'S STAMPED ON GOLD JEWELRY?

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What's Gold Karat Plumb?

KP?

Often when you’re looking at Stamps or Markings Inside of Rings and other Jewelry, you’ll see the Letters “KP“, as in 14KP, or 18KP.

What does this KP Mean?

KP Means “Karat Plumb”.

Now we all know that “Karat” means the Purity of the Gold.

We also know that 10k, 14k, 18k are NOT Pure Gold (Pure Gold is 24k).

So these Common Gold Mixtures found on the Market Today are Blended with other Alloys to make the Gold Stronger (Since Pure Gold is Too Soft for Jewelry).

14k Gold (also written as .585) is made up of 58.5% Gold, 25% Silver, and 17% Copper.

So the K, or Karat, means that’s the Amount of Gold that’s Supposed to be in the Piece of Jewelry.

So What about the Plumb?

Plumb means “TRUE”.

It comes from the French Word “Plum” or “Plombe“, and can also mean “Completely“, “Weight“, or even “Exact“.

So now the Real Meaning of Plumb becomes clear…

It means that the Gold Stated is Correct. It’s at least the amount Stamped on the Item, or Greater (Never Less).

It’s TRUE Gold

(Not Rounded Up, or Close toIT IS AT LEAST THAT OR MORE!)

For you see, many other Countries in the World Produce Different Blends of Gold and use Different Alloys and Mixtures. They may even Sell Gold that’s 7K, 8K, or even 9K Gold.

And even if they do Stamp an Item as 10K, that doesn’t always mean that the Gold is 41.7% (Or whatever Gold you’re Buying). Oh No!

It may be somewhere in the Ballpark, but not Exact.

In the U.S.A., if it’s under 10K Gold, then it Legally can’t be Sold as Gold.

Gold Guarantee

So to Ensure and Guarantee that the Item you’re Buying is GOLD (the Stamp that’s Shown), make sure you’re Buying Plumb Gold.

Look to see if it’s Stamped “KP”

14KP is at least 14 Parts Gold or More.

18KP is at least 18 Parts Gold or More.

It’s Important to Know for Sure!

And if you truly want to be Positive that an Item is “True” to the Mark, then Buy yourself an Acid Testing Kit, and within a Few Seconds you’ll be able to See if the Gold you Bought, is Indeed the Gold you Paid for.

And that’s Sounds Pretty PLUMB to me!

Cheers! :)




Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter 10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner
Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit
Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter
10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

9 Comments on WHAT’S KARAT PLUMB?

  1. Carole Holt lt // August 10, 2019 at 10:41 am // Reply

    I have just purchased a small bangle with hallmark 18KP engraved inside.
    It has a sideways S patterndo you know if this is of any value?
    Thank you

  2. Hi I have a ring with a larger blue Sapphire
    Stone setting and metal content appears to be pewter and claw like prones. Its
    Hallmarks is a, c with circle around it
    Followed by V/T S.E. KP M when I wear it. It draws much attention. Very beautiful ring. I bought it from a local online selling service very cheap. Can you tell me anything about the hallmark. I’ve been searching the Hallmark out for a long time

  3. Lourdesito Rivera // September 2, 2019 at 1:28 pm // Reply

    Hello! I bought a necklace with 18kp stamped on the lock of the necklace, is it panwnable?

  4. “14k Gold (also written as .585) is made up of 58.5% Gold, 25% Silver, and 17% Copper”

    This wasn’t always the standard. My great-grandfather’s 14k yellow-gold watch chain from 1918 is 14k but is very coppery looking. The 14k chains that I have from the 1980s have only a very slight copper hue. The modern 14k that I buy from eBay wholesalers has no copper hue whatsoever.

    • Rose gold doesn’t follow the same guidelines that yellow gold does, so rose/pink gold would have more copper in it. There’s also green gold which has a higher percentage of silver. Rose gold was very popular in the mid-late Victorian period through the 1920’s

  5. We have a flatware set marked 24KP which was purchased in Saudi Arabia approximately 45 years ago. What are the chances it is solid gold?

  6. Anna Arrowood // October 5, 2020 at 4:37 am // Reply

    Does sk9 (platinaire) guarantee that the diamond is real?

  7. i have a bangle hallmark is KP its almost 6yrs not faded it is real gold or not?

  8. I have a 18ksp ring what does this mean

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