525 standard - Which standard is better in gold, 525 or 585?

Gold is a noble metal that indicates a person’s wealth. Therefore, the fashion for gold jewelry does not stop. This will be relevant as long as gold is quoted on the markets and stored in the largest banks of the states.

Even in ancient times, coins were made from gold and thus indicated the price of goods. Jewelry began to be produced a little later, and for this they used not pure gold, but some alloys. So, how to understand the price and quality of products made from this noble metal, and also understand what a sample is? The whole calculation system is quite simple. The main thing is to know what units of measurement there are and how to convert values between each other.

375 gold is contraindicated for those who are allergic to nickel

This is the biggest drawback of 375 gold alloy - the nickel in its composition can cause an allergic reaction.

Because the percentage of nickel in this gold alloy is higher (compared to 585 and higher alloys), products made from it are more likely to cause skin irritation and other allergy symptoms.

Jewelry made of 585 gold practically does not cause allergic reactions, and yet people prone to allergies are recommended to test the product first.

Where is it used?

People at all times have been mining the “yellow metal”, finding application for it in various areas of their activities. Thus, the gold alloy in question is in demand in industry and is actively used in medicine. First of all, it is used in places where its characteristics such as strength and elasticity are needed. In medicine, this metal is valued for the fact that it does not cause allergies in patients. Medical instruments are made from it, used in prosthetics, and dental crowns are made.

In jewelry, material with such markings is also used, but rarely. Due to the predominance of copper in some brands, it can be subject to corrosion. It is mainly used to produce low-priced products. Some jewelers use this metal in combination with other types of gold alloys. It allows you to make individual details in jewelry as refined as possible. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, wedding rings were made from red gold, which were not very diverse, but were practical.

The sufficient density of the gold alloy in question allows it to be used as a coating for inexpensive jewelry, as well as vintage products for expensive cigarette cases, pendants, pins, pens and brooches to give the effect of wealth and luxury.

What to choose: 375 or 585 gold

It is impossible to say for sure which type of gold alloy is better. When choosing, there are many factors to consider, as well as individual preferences. If you want everyday jewelry that you will wear all the time, then it is better to opt for a product made from 375 gold - it is harder and more scratch-resistant. A ring made of 585 gold will wear out faster and become scratched if worn constantly. An additional advantage is the lower price of products made from 375 gold alloy.
As noted above, diamond jewelry is typically made from at least 585 gold alloy.
If you are allergic to nickel, it is best to avoid jewelry made from 375 gold and opt for jewelry made from 585 gold or a higher purity alloy.
As for appearance, it’s up to you to decide which of these types of gold looks more attractive, and whether it’s worth paying extra for a higher standard.

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56 hallmark gold is a hallmark from the times of Tsarist Russia, which was placed on individual gold jewelry and decorative items. Today, such engraving is found quite rarely and mainly on antique objects.

Let's figure out what hallmark 56 gold in Tsarist Russia is and what modern gold it corresponds to. In addition, information will be provided regarding what the 5s5 engraving is, which is occasionally found on products. It will be useful for many to become familiar with the metric system introduced in the USSR, as well as with prices per gram of gold.

The first stamp on gold was placed in the middle of the sixth century in an ancient country with the beautiful name Lydia. The state government considered this measure mandatory to ensure the protection of the population from scammers.

Metals in alloy

The rest of the alloy consists of a master alloy. The concept of “ligature” hides the remaining metals that are in the precious thing. If we talk about gold products, then among them may be:

Silver is the most harmless and frequently encountered noble metal. It gives gold a light tint, which is why products containing silver are called white gold.
Nickel and zinc are rarely found as ligatures for jewelry, since both metals have allergenic properties and also change the appearance of the jewelry over time.
Copper is an alloy that was especially often used in the Soviet Union. It gave the gold a reddish hue. Now, along with silver, copper takes part in the formation of rose gold.
Brass is a cheap metal that is rarely used as an additive to jewelry.
Palladium - improves the properties of gold, gives a noble shine, but a product with palladium is more expensive than ordinary gold.
Platinum is the most expensive noble metal, which is added to alloys upon request. Their cost is the highest among all jewelry.

As you can understand from the above options for alloys, not all substances when added to pure gold make the product cheaper. Although it is the fact of low cost that forces jewelers to reduce the amount of precious metal. Most elements fall under this criterion, but platinum and palladium, on the contrary, make the item more expensive and unique.

But for silver the following is used as a ligature:

copper is a universal additive for all products that does not change the properties of the decoration;
platinum;
germanium;
silicon.

If you do not take platinum into account, all ligatures significantly reduce the cost of the product.

Hallmarks

To make jewelry, you can choose either one metal as a ligature, or several in different proportions. In this case, the sample of such a thing will not change, since it takes into account only the amount of pure precious metal. Not all metals are suitable for making jewelry: some will simply spoil the appearance, while others may cause allergies.

Therefore, the jeweler should consult with the client about the type and composition of the metal if the jewelry is made to order. If you purchase an item in a store, ask the seller to announce the composition of the ligature. This information cannot be found on the product tag; only the sample is indicated there. But on the full documents or certificates you can find out all the details.

A product made of precious metal must be stamped with a stamp - this is a state sign that guarantees the composition and authenticity of the thing. If you want to sell a product and go to a pawnshop or workshop, the first thing they will look at is the brand. In this case, a thorough examination of the verification can be avoided.

But if you ordered a product from a jeweler and used a non-standard metal content, then this item will undergo a lengthy check to determine the percentage of all elements in the product, and this procedure is not cheap. It is impossible to determine the metal sample at home. This is done using a special apparatus that determines spectral analysis.

According to GOST standards, the following samples are allowed for gold: 375, 500, 585, 750, 999. For silver, the following values are accepted: 800, 830, 875, 925, 960, 999. Products below 585 samples for gold and 830 for silver are considered low-grade. But this does not mean at all that they are of poor quality. Low-grade products are widely used as interior decoration, as well as for the manufacture of personal accessories.

All items are marked with state stamps, which are located on the reverse side of the decoration. And also all information about the sample is located on the tag. If you order custom jewelry with a non-standard hallmark, it can be hallmarked, but only with a lower value. This will affect the value if you want to sell the jewelry in the future. A special sign is even placed on gold-plated or silver-plated items.

What is it - 56-carat gold?

What is it - 56-carat gold? It is a metal measured by the spool system relative to the purity of gold. Previously, in Tsarist Russia, one pound was taken as the basis of measurement, which was equal to 96 spools. The 96th sample was considered the highest, which did not contain any impurities at all. However, it was practically not used to create jewelry. More common was the 56 standard of metal, which indicates that the alloy contains 56 spools (that is, pure gold) and 40 parts of additives (mainly silver, copper, palladium). Impurities were necessarily used in an alloy to give it specific properties, such as hardness, ductility, or wear resistance.

Silver samples - what are they?

Silver is incredibly beautiful, but if it is not used in its pure form, it quickly loses its appearance - it becomes tarnished and damaged. Therefore, alloys with different ratios of precious metal are used. Therefore, a method for assessing the silver sample was introduced.

What does a silver sample mean and what markings exist? The three-digit sample system was developed in 1927 and is still successfully used today. According to the stamps, the quality and value of the resulting jewelry is determined by how much pure material is per 1000 grams. The most common ones include 750, 800, 875, 916, 925, 960 and 999.

All alloys differ only in the percentage of pure precious metal content. The sampling system adopted in Russia is one of the most accurate; this number gives a more accurate result of the ratio of pure metal and added alloys.

It is customary to use hard materials as additional components: nickel, copper, aluminum, zinc.

What is it - 5s5 gold?

What is it - 5s5 gold? A similar mark is sometimes found on jewelry. In reality, such engraving does not exist. If you see the value 5s5 on the product, this indicates the purity of 585, but the central digit has been erased due to active use.

It is advisable to refuse to purchase 5s5 gold only if you are not sure of the seller. Nowadays, some people deliberately place such a mark for fraudulent purposes. A fake is usually made of gold of a lower standard or from a completely different alloy. It is almost impossible to determine by eye whether this is a fake or real 585 gold. This is only permissible experimentally using a reagent and in a chemical laboratory.

How to spot a fake?

Since products of “825 standard” are most often sold as silver, it is also worth checking the quality of products specifically for the content of this precious metal in the composition. There are objective criteria by which you can identify a fake.

Hallmark. It should be easily readable even without a magnifying glass or other devices. If the stamp shows numbers that differ from the variants entered in the official register, it is better to refrain from purchasing the product.
Reaction to chalk. In this case, the silver will darken. Other metals will remain light.
Reaction to contact with tiles. It is enough to drag a metal product across the surface. If it is gold, there should be no reaction.
Reaction to contact with palms. If dark spots appear on the surface of the product after it, you should refuse the purchase. This reaction indicates a high percentage of zinc in the composition.
Origin. Often, sellers of pseudo-precious metal claim that the goods were delivered from abroad. But if the sample is marked according to Russian standards, it must comply with them. Among the stamps that are relevant in foreign countries, there are also no such meanings - the closest option is 826, which is found in Norway and Denmark.

Taking these points into account, it is possible to recognize a low-quality product made of precious metals sold under the guise of 825-sterling silver.

It is worth remembering that in the modern classification such a percentage of metal does not occur. Accordingly, it is better to refuse to purchase jewelry.

Price of 1 gram of metal

The price of 1 gram of 56-carat metal corresponds to the cost of a gram of 585-carat gold. But remember that rates are highly dependent on a number of factors, including:

presence or absence of precious stones;
marks of the master of that time (jewelry created by great masters is much more expensive);
information that the item was owned by famous personalities;
year of manufacture.

If the jewelry is recognized as an antique, its value will be determined individually. In all other cases, prices will correspond to those shown in the table.

Try	Market value of 1 gram	Price per 1 gram of scrap	Jewelry value of 1 gram
56 sample	1671 ruble	1504 rubles	3000 rubles
5s5 sample	1671 ruble	1504 rubles	3000 rubles
585 sample	1671 ruble	1504 rubles	3000 rubles

Now you know what gold standard 56 is in the spool system, what metric and carat it corresponds to. Remember that the prices for the 56 sample, the corresponding 585 or the erased 5s5 are identical. The exception is products with precious stones or created by great masters.

Differences between 875 and 925 silver.

What types of silver are there?

Today, there are special tables of silver samples that allow you to independently determine how high-quality the metal was used to create a certain product. Silver products are very popular in society due to their visual and technical characteristics. In this article we will talk about what types of silver exist, where and how stamps are placed, and how the authenticity of a product can be established.

Silver itself has a soft silvery tint, is easy to clean, and does not darken for a long time, but there are conditions under which the appearance of the metal changes.

Here everything depends on the sample or on the volume of impurities contained. Next we will talk about what sample of silver is the best.

This question is often asked by novice collectors and simply amateurs who want to purchase a truly worthwhile item. The fact is that all silver products can be divided into groups according to

What does a gold sample look like?

The gold standard in Russia has a certain standard. It always looks the same, only the meaning changes.

The gold standard in Russia always contains the image of a girl in a kokoshnik.

K - To the left of the image is a letter of the Russian alphabet. She points to the Assay Supervision Inspectorate where the jewelry was tested.

585 - gold content

Ways to recognize fake jewelry

First you need to consider the jewelry.
It must have a special marking that is responsible for the authenticity of the gold. The hallmark or carat weight must be stamped. To facilitate inspection, it is advisable to use a magnifying glass. It is not always possible to distinguish the mark on antique metal. In the modern world, they have learned how to test gold on fake gold, so this method is not always successful. Over time, the gold plating wears off. You need to look at the edges of the product. If other metal is visible in the areas of wear, the item is not entirely made of gold.

Checking the product for bite

Previously, films were often shown where gold coins were tested for their “tooth”. And for good reason. After all, this way you can check not only coins, but also gold jewelry. For example, a ring or earring. The product must be pressed with your teeth. Now look at him. Real gold will leave teeth marks. The deeper the bite, the higher the test. However, we must not forget that lead is very soft, so it will also leave traces.

Ceramic check

Fake gold is easy to detect using this method. This test must be carried out very carefully as it is easily scratched. To do this, you will need an unglazed ceramic plate, that is, not covered with anything. Swipe the gold over it with light pressure. What is visible? The gold stripe is a natural product, the black stripe is a fake decoration.

Magnetic check

First you need to purchase a magnet. The one that hangs on the refrigerator is very soft and is not suitable for dough. The magnet must be a real, heavy one that interacts with the metal. Gold is never attracted. Therefore, feel free to bring the jewelry to the magnet. If she is attracted, then you are holding a real fake. There are cases when a magnetically passive component is added to a product. Then you can confuse gold with a fake. How to distinguish gold in such cases? Try the following method.

Application of nitric acid

Nitric acid will help identify fake gold from real gold. To do this, place the product in a metal container without stains. Next, you need to drop nitric acid from a pipette onto the product. If the gold changes color and becomes greenish, then you are conducting an experiment with ordinary metal. The gilded product takes on a milky hue. If the gold is real, then no reaction will take place.

Sound test

If you take a gold item and throw it onto the surface of the table, then the real metal will ring loudly, like crystal. For such an experience, rings, earrings, but not long jewelry (chains, bracelets) are suitable.

Vinegar test

Pour some vinegar into the container and place the decoration there. Nothing bad will happen to real gold, but fake gold will darken in two minutes.

Iodine test

Iodine is a very good test for the authenticity of jewelry. To do this, you only need to apply one drop to the inside of the product. Gold will remain unchanged. The fake decoration will darken. It can turn either light gray or black.

ANY CHEMICAL TEST IS POSSIBLE ONLY ON THE SURFACE OF THE DECORATION. THE INSIDE IS CHECKED WHEN A PERSON IS READY TO DESTROY THE PRODUCT.

You can also ask experts how to distinguish gold from a fake, who will help you quickly and using several ways to determine whether the jewelry is real. Gilding is almost real metal.

Method of applying gold sample

The mechanical method of applying a sample is the most common in the world. Until recently, this was the only option for hallmarking jewelry. It is applied by mechanical deformation of the gold surface using a harder cliche.

The laser method of applying samples began to be used not so long ago. Such a sample can only be found on modern jewelry. It is applied using special equipment, burning a pattern onto the surface of the gold. The piercing depth is not large, so the laser mark may be erased over time.

The electric spark method of applying a sample was a transitional link from mechanical to laser. It differs from laser in its deeper application, which is why it is more durable.

Branding methods

Previously, jewelry was marked with a convex test. Later, its appearance was changed, as was the method of application. Technologies used today:

impact method: was popular earlier, based on mechanical impact on metal with a self-made impact stamp;
electroerosion (electric spark method): this option has many advantages, they note that there is no risk of severe deformation of the metal, creating zones of concentration of internal stress, as a result, they receive a mark with a depth of 0.1 to 1 mm, and the best characteristics are distinguished by a test made on a hot, colored metal, as well as when applied using a press;
laser engraving: the technology ensures high precision of execution, which allows it to be used for making micro-stamps, the laser beam is considered the thinnest tool, it is used to make signs up to 1 mm in size, this is the method that has become widespread today, in addition, there is another factor that indicates about the wide capabilities of the laser - non-contact implementation.

Jewelry mark

Prices of different gold samples

Prices are current at the time of writing (June 2021):

Try	Well	Pawnshop	Shop
375	1020	950	1700-3000
500	1600	1300	2000-3500
585	1600	1500	2500-5000
750	2050	1900	3000-7000
958	2600	2500	—
999	2750	2600	—

You can always independently calculate the price of gold according to the exchange rate on the world market.

The pawnshop accepts gold at a price of 50-100 rubles less than its quotation.

The selling price of gold in a jewelry store is usually 1000 rubles more than the exchange rate.

Reviews

I couldn't see the sample when I bought it. I found a piece of jewelry that I liked at a pawn shop. Of course, the ring is used, but from the outside I wouldn’t say that anyone was wearing it. They offered me a magnifying glass, the only way I was convinced that it was really 585 gold and not a fake with a letter designation.

Valentina P., Donetsk

Alisa T. g, Ivanovo

Somehow I fell for a fraudulent scheme: I bought a ring in the jewelry department, I didn’t study the mark, I just noticed that it was there. But she noted to herself that in the center of sample 585 there was some kind of low eight. When the ring turned black, I realized that I had been deceived, but it was too late to look for the scammers, they disappeared. I examined the sample, and it said 5S5.

I thought I had already seen everything, but I didn’t expect to see a sample of 5S5 in a fairly large store. They explained something to me about the methods of applying the sample, but the ring was then removed from the counter. Of course, I didn’t believe it, which was confirmed when the product disappeared from sale.

Vasily P, Voronezh

Determining gold plating

Many consumers are interested in: “how to distinguish gold from gilding?” With the slightest knowledge this is not difficult to do. Usually gold plating is not tested. The gold alloy will not be able to lie on top of the metal. Only real noble metal will fit. If you see a product with hallmarks: 585, 750, 350, 500 - this is gold with added impurities. On pure precious metal there can be only one standard - 999. If gold foil was used, then they can put another standard besides those on real metal.

Important! A sample does not always guarantee the authenticity of a product. Sometimes small scratches can be seen. Often this means that the item is not entirely gold, but only a clasp on or near the item. Everything else may turn out to be gold.

To check the jewelry yourself, you can lightly scrape the product in an inconspicuous area. The gilding will come off slightly, but the gold will remain unchanged.

A lapis pencil is also suitable for checking. It is sold in any pharmacy. The scraping area must be moistened with water and drawn over it with a pencil. Any metal other than gold will darken.

A simple experiment can be done to test gold. Turn on the burner and heat the product over it (300-400 degrees). Then quickly throw it into cold water. Gold will not change, but stains will appear on other metals.

You should never purchase gold from dubious establishments and stores. These should be specialized jewelry departments, where there are quality certificates and specialists work. After all, some unscrupulous sellers refer to the fact that samples are not taken abroad. You can't believe this. Any import of gold jewelry is not permitted without a stamp and relevant documents.

Sometimes you come across products that have the 583rd mark on them. Many people don't know about it. These jewelry were made in Soviet times and fakes of such products are extremely rare. Therefore, if you come across a 583 sample, do not be alarmed.

Metric system

1927 was marked for our country by the transition to the metric system of samples; the share of precious metal here is determined by the number of grams in one kilogram of jewelry alloy. For example, 1000 g of 750-grade alloy contains 750 grams of noble metal and 250 g of other impurities, or alloy. Our jewelers use 375, 500, 585, 750, 900, 916, 958 samples to make gold items.

Previously, there was also a 583 standard of gold, which corresponded to the western one, equal to 14 K, however, the western one was slightly higher than the domestic one. Then a proposal was made to slightly change the classic gold standard from 583 to 585, all so that our products in cost per 1 gram of gold would not be inferior to Western ones.

By the way, the exchange is not inferior in popularity to many common currency pairs in trading.