WHAT’S KARAT PLUMB?
WHAT IS KP, KARAT PLUMB THAT'S STAMPED ON GOLD JEWELRY?
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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 to… IT 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! :)
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It would seem unlikely at this point in time to find new jewelry in jewelers’ cases with the “P” or “Plumb” marking.
That came about with the tightening of the National Gold and Silver Marking Act requirements, which was signed into law in 1976, and took actual effect on October 1, 1981. This revision required that, as you mentioned, gold marked a specific carat fineness must be at least that level of gold fineness, if not a bit more, but never less. The “P” marking was applied for a time in all new production pieces which met the new standard, to assure the public they were getting precisely what they paid for, and that the piece met the new standard.
After a time, perhaps a couple of years however (sources vary), since all new jewelry met the requirements, it was no longer necessary to mark everything with the extra “P” in the hallmark.
I have seen many older pieces carry this marking, and it does provide a sure way of dating a piece, but haven’t seen new pieces for sale, or much of anything made after 1990, so marked.
It would be quite difficult now days to walk into a jewelry store and expect to find anything in their cases with this marking.
I have a necklace with just KP stamped on latch. Pawn shop said it wasnt gold. What gives? The necklace looks identical to ones I’ve looked up. Any help
More than likely the clasp may be gold, but the rest of the necklace isn’t. I actually ran into this exact scenario during Christmas. Take it to a different jewelry store and have them double check, just in case. :) -Richard
I found a small delicate bracelet with hearts. On the clasp is marked 10K on one side. On the other side are the initials or. Can you tell me what that stands for?
could a stamp of 14kp mean gold plated
Hi Sandra. Probably not. kp is usually Karat Plumb. GP or GF is generally Gold Plated or Filled. -Richard
I brought a 14 KP ring with diamonds on the top from a friend today does this mean this ring is real gold.
Yes. -Richard
I have a rather sizeable money clip that us marked 15KP(has a hallmark between the K and P). Does this seem legitimate to you? I gotthe item about25 years ago in a bag of broken costume jewelry for free, and have wondered about it off and on. Is there an email address that I can send a photo of the markings. and item to get a quick, dirty opinion before I seek a better assessment?
Hi Laura. I would guess that it’s not gold. Especially being 15k. If there is a hallmark between the K and P, it’s probably a logo or initials or manufacturers stamp. You can send any pics to my email address here. -Richard
I bought a 10kp waterfall ring any ideas on a value about 24 diamonds not missing any
I inherited a gold cross. 18kp is stamped on the back. Also stamped is what looks like 4mo. Was Kp stamp used befor the 1970s? I’m trying to date this and figure out its history.
I bought a chain 18k p is this pawnable
Yes, if it’s 18k and tests as 18k, they can either pawn it or buy it. :) -Richard
I bought men’s ring 2carat diamond 10k gold how much the price of it in US dollars?