What does 925 mean on jewelry?

By Greg Parsons · Updated October 18, 2026

What 925 means

Fineness marks give the silver content in parts per thousand. 925 means 925 out of 1,000 parts are pure silver. Under the FTC's Jewelry Guides, the words "sterling silver", "sterling", "Ster." and "solid silver" are reserved for metal that is at least 925/1,000 pure. Jewelers of America lists 925, .925, 92.5 and Ster as common sterling marks, usually stamped on the inside of a piece.

The FTC also says silver items must show the name or US-registered trademark of the company that stands behind the mark. A 925 with no maker's mark next to it is a reason to ask questions, not proof of a fake.

What 925 means on a ring, chain or necklace

It means the same thing on every piece. You will usually find it inside a ring band, on the clasp or a small tag near the clasp of a chain, and on the post or back of earrings. Small items such as thin chains sometimes carry the mark only on the clasp, and the clasp may be made separately.

What 925 means on gold jewelry

A gold-colored piece stamped 925 is sterling silver with gold on the surface. That can be ordinary gold plating, or vermeil: the FTC's term for sterling silver coated with gold of at least 10 karat, at least 2.5 microns thick. Either way the core is silver, and the gold layer can wear through over time.

What 925 Italy means

"925 Italy" is a claim that the piece is sterling silver made in Italy. Italy also has an official identification mark: a five-pointed star, the maker's registration number and a province code, set inside a polygon, used alongside the fineness number (for example a mark reading star, 123, AR would point to maker 123 in Arezzo). Collector references describe this system as in use since the late 1960s. Many genuine Italian pieces carry both. A bare "925 Italy" is easy to stamp, so buy from a seller you can return to.

What 925 ALE means

ALE is Pandora's maker's mark. Pandora says it stands for Algot Enevoldsen, the father of Pandora's founder, and appears on its jewelry except some of the smallest pieces. Pandora stamps its sterling silver S925; Pandora says pieces made before June 2011 carry numbers only, so an older charm may read 925 ALE without the S.

What 925 FD means

We could not find an authoritative source that defines "FD" on silver. In the US system it sits where a maker's or brand mark would, so it most likely identifies the company behind the piece, but different companies may use the same letters. Treat 925 FD like any 925 stamp: the number is the claim, and the seller is who stands behind it.

What 925 China means

"China" (or Thailand, Mexico, India and so on) next to 925 usually names the country where the piece was made. It says nothing on its own about whether the silver content is accurate. What matters is the seller and, for anything valuable, a jeweler's test.

Other silver fineness marks

Marks that mean silver plated, not sterling

Jewelers Mutual lists marks such as EP (electroplated), EPNS (electroplated nickel silver), SP, Silver Plate and BP as signs of plating. "German silver" and "nickel silver" contain no silver at all. Under the National Stamping Act, silver-plated articles may not be stamped "sterling" or "coin". See sterling silver vs silver plated.