Live decoder ·
The stamp inside your gold,
375 is 9ct gold, 37.5% pure, worth R824,30 a gram right now; 585 is 14ct, 750 is 18ct, 916 is 22ct and 999 is fine 24ct at R2 195,95 a gram. That tiny number stamped in your gold is the fineness, the parts of pure gold per thousand. Most modern manufactured jewellery carries one, but plenty of older, handmade, altered or heavily worn pieces carry nothing at all, and an unmarked piece is not fake, it just has to be tested rather than read. Where there is a stamp, it is the single most important thing to read before you buy or sell. Here is what each one means, and what it is worth per gram right now.
| Stamp | Karat | Purity | Per gram | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 375 | 9ct | 37.5% | R824,30 | The SA everyday standard |
| 585 | 14ct | 58.5% | R1 285,92 | Common in imported pieces |
| 750 | 18ct | 75.0% | R1 648,61 | Fine jewellery |
| 916 | 22ct | 91.67% | R2 014,97 | High-purity, soft |
| 999 | 24ct | 99.9% | R2 195,95 | Pure, bullion and coins |
How to read a hallmark
The three-digit number is a millesimal fineness: parts of pure gold in every thousand parts of metal. So 750 means 750 out of 1,000, or 75%, which is 18 carat. The old carat scale runs out of 24, so 24ct is pure gold and every other karat is a fraction of it: 18ct is 18/24, 9ct is 9/24. Both systems describe the same thing, purity, and the stamp is the legal declaration of it.
In South Africa the number you will see most is 375, nine-carat, because it is the everyday standard here. Higher up, 916 (22ct) turns up in coins and in jewellery from traditions that favour high-purity gold, and 999 is reserved for bullion bars and the fine gold used to make Krugerrand blanks, though the finished Krugerrand coin is 22ct. A maker's mark or country stamp often sits alongside the fineness; it is the three-digit number that sets the value.
Why the stamp decides the price
Value is purity times weight. Two chains of identical weight are worth wildly different amounts if one is 375 and the other is 916, because the second holds nearly two-and-a-half times the gold. That is why the first thing an honest buyer does is read the stamp and weigh the piece in front of you, then price it against the live figure, exactly the numbers in the decoder above. If a piece is unmarked, it must be tested before anyone can quote it fairly. Run any weight through the calculator or see the full per-gram board.
The Goldza desk
Common questions
Hallmarks and karats, answered
- What does 375 mean on gold?
- The stamp 375 means 9ct gold: 37.5% pure gold, 375 parts per thousand. It is the most common hallmark in South African jewellery. At today's price 9ct gold is worth R824,30 per gram.
- What does 916 gold mean?
- 916 is 22ct gold, 91.67% pure (stamped 916). It is soft and high in gold content, common in coins and in jewellery from Indian and Middle-Eastern traditions. It is worth R2 014,97 per gram today.
- Which gold hallmark is worth the most?
- Per gram, 999 (24ct) is worth the most because it is nearly pure gold, then 916, 750, 585 and 375 in descending order. But the total value of a piece is its purity times its weight, so a heavy 9ct item can be worth more than a light 24ct one.
- What if my gold has no hallmark?
- Unstamped gold is not necessarily fake, older and handmade pieces are often unmarked, but it does need testing (acid or XRF) to confirm the karat before anyone can price it fairly. A reputable buyer tests in front of you and shows the result.