Hi Jilla thank you for writing in with the following hallmark question:
"Hi, I recently purchased a small jewelry lot at an estate sale and one of the pieces is a very beautiful rose gold diamond and emerald claddagh bangle bracelet. I don't know if it's solid gold or plated or ?
The stamp reads "18CT GP IRISH"
And I thought I read somewhere awhile back that some jewelry makers would stamp a piece with (Karat level) "GP" to represent a piece that is Gold Plumb and that "GEP" "EP" "GF" etc. were used to mark gold plate/electropate, gold fill types of jewelry. Thank you"
Jilla you are absolutely correct. The "P" stands for PLUMB, guaranteed to be the designated gold karat which, in this case, is 18 karat.
In the United States, a piece designated as a certain karat gold could legally vary one half of a karat. so, as you would imagine, he might round 17-1/2k up to 18k.
When a piece is marked GP it means the metal is guaranteed by the manufacturer to be no less than 18k. This mark is often mistaken for gold plate.
