I just had a ring custom made in platinum. Princess diamond eternity
band. The platinum band in 4mm and is not stamped “Plat” or anything
else. The jewler said sometimes platinum isn’t stamped, especially
if there is no room to stamp it. Is that true?
I appreciate your help!
Kerri
My understanding of the National Stamping Act is that there is NO
requirement for the maker to stamp the item with I.D. information
(like 14k, 18k, Plat., Irid.-Plat., 90%Plat. 10% Irid., etc.) But if
he/she DOES stamp it, it had better be correct, with only VERY tiny
tolerance; AND it must also have a trademarked stamp. In effect saying
"I, xyz jeweler, SWEAR to the quality that I have stamped."
That said, it is pretty easy to tell platinum from all other jewelry
metals, because it is 1.7% HEAVIER than gold and about twice as heavy
as silver. If you are experienced with jewelry, you should just be
able to tell by the “heft” in your hand.
Most jewelers Rhodium plate both white gold and platinum after
polishing, so they look IDENTICAL, despite weight difference.
David Barzilay, Lord of the Rings
Kerri, I have never heard such a poor excuse. Yeah, it should be
stamped somewhere, somehow. If it’s a ring, there’s got to be space
inside the shank. Perhaps the jeweler did not have a Plat stamp, or
one small enough, believe me, small stamps do exist! That’s not
credible, get it stamped or checked for Plat pureness/quality. If you
can’t get it stamped, get an appraisal and photo of it, etc. for
insurance purposes.
Sara D. Commers
Minneapolis, MN
Halmark it or pay nothing or pay for 10k white gold because it might
as well be that! Cavet Emperor buyer beware