What Is 585 Gold?

Do you have a gold piece of jewelry featuring numbers? Sometimes gold jewelry is stamped with the numbers 585. Hallmarks on gold stand for how much of it is made with our gold. 

The numbers 585 represent this, too. So, what exactly is 585 gold and what does 585 mean? 

If gold features a stamp of 585, then this means that it is 14k gold. 585 is the gold’s hallmark showing how much pure gold it contains. 14k gold is 58.3% pure gold which is why the numbers 585 are used for its hallmark.

14k gold is the most common type of gold used for jewelry since it is still valuable but also durable. Jewelry is worn often and some pieces are more susceptible to everyday wear and tear. Since rings are worn on your hands, they can be bumped or scratched a lot especially if you don’t remove them before you do certain activities or tasks. 

Pure gold is too soft to be made into jewelry which is why other metals are added to it to make it stronger. It is still made with real gold, but is more durable to be worn as jewelry since it is mixed with other metals. 

14k gold is made up of 58.3% pure gold, and the rest is made up of metal alloys like copper, zinc, silver, and nickel. 

Gold is stamped with the hallmark of how pure it is. These include the following:

1. 14K, 14Kt – Stands for 14 karat gold. Depending on the manufacturer, either a K or a Kt will be stamped on the gold. Both of these mean the same thing. The stamp 14k is the most common to see on engagement rings, wedding rings, and other 14k gold jewelry.
2. 14K with country – Product labeling laws in some countries require them to stamp their jewelry with its country of origin for export. Gold can also be stamped with a specific city. region, or assay office’s hallmark.
3. 14K with company logo – This stamp means the same as the regular 14k just with an added stamp of who manufactured it.
4. 14K P – This means 14 karat plumb or “complete”. Gold with this stamp is at least 14k pure gold, nothing less.
5. 14K 585 or just 585 – This stamp shows the amount of pure gold the jewelry contains. 14k gold is made up of 58.3% pure gold which is equivalent to 583 grams per thousand. Showing its purity this stamp uses the numbers 585.
6. 14KGP – Meaning “Gold-Plated” this mark isn’t solid gold. It is only coated in a layer of 14k gold. The rest is made up of other metals.
7. 14K GEP, 14K GE – This stamp means that the jewelry is “gold electroplated ”. A thin layer of 14K gold is applied to the base metal that makes up the ring using an electric current.
8. 14KGF – the GF stands for “gold filed” meaning that the outer layer of gold is wrapped around a base metal giving it a gold exterior. This also isn’t solid gold.

As you can see, sometimes jewelry made from 14k gold is stamped with a hallmark of 585. Now that we covered 14k gold is 58.3% pure gold, why is it stamped with the hallmark of 585? Shouldn’t it be “583”? 

The reason why some 14k jewelry stamps are 585 is that many manufacturers produce their 14k gold a little bit purer than 14/24 parts. This European practice has become a popular way of making 14k gold which is why it features the numbers 585 instead. 

However, if you see jewelry with a 583 stamp then just like the 585, it is 14k gold. The hallmarks of gold don’t make them any more or less valuable. All 14k gold pieces are the same, have the same value, and are the same in purity. 

14k gold is worth the amount of gold it contains. Since it contains less gold than 18k or 24k gold, it is more affordable but also more durable. So, 585 gold is 14k gold. 

To see the most popular 14k gold jewelry pieces just click here. 

Is 585 Gold Real Gold?

Seeing the numbers 585 on gold can make you wonder if it is actually real gold. Normally jewelry is marked with a karat number. But, European-made jewelry is stamped with its percent of gold purity such as 585. 

So, is 585 real gold?

585 gold is made of real gold.  This number indicates that 58.3% of the piece which is a little over half of it contains pure gold. The rest is metal alloys which makes it stronger and more durable. 585 gold is the same as 14k gold and it is real (assuming the stamp isn’t fake). 

Gold’s purity is measured in karats. How many karats the gold is is how much pure gold it contains. Karats use 24 parts to refer to the gold and however many parts of it are pure, that is the number of karats it is. 

This is a way to determine how pure the gold is. The higher amount of gold it contains, the higher the amount of carats it is. The purest gold is 24k gold. 

Let’s look at 3 common types of gold and why they are a certain number of karats:

• 24 karat gold – If all 24/24 parts of the gold are pure gold, then it is 24k gold. 24k gold is 100% pure gold with no other metals added into it. 

• 18 karat gold – If 18/24 parts of this gold is pure gold, then it is 18k gold. 75% of it contains pure gold and the rest is made up of metal alloys.

• 14 karat gold – If 14/24 parts of this gold is pure gold, then it is 14k gold. 58.3% of it contains pure gold and the rest is made up of metal alloys.

Since only 14 out of 24 of its parts are made up of pure gold, 14k gold is a more affordable option. It is also used for many engagement and wedding rings since it is more durable. 

14k gold is still beautiful, but since it contains more alloys then 18k or 24k gold, it can be purchased at a better price. The alloys account for a lower price for the gold but a higher level of durability. This makes it a great option for rings. 

14k gold is made up of gold, along with durable metals like zinc, nickel, and copper making the piece corrosion, rust and tarnish resistant.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, 585 gold is 14k gold. 58.3% of its parts is made up of pure gold. While this type of gold is still valuable because it contains real gold and is beautiful, it is also more affordable and durable than gold with a higher number of karats. 

So gold stamped with 585 is 14k gold.