333 gold purity on a ring: composition and properties of Soviet gold, nominal and actual value of 1 gram, use of low-grade gold today in Russia and abroad

333 gold standard - corresponds to 8 carats in the foreign gold classification system and means that the composition contains 33.3% pure gold.

This is a low-grade alloy and is currently used in Germany, and to a lesser extent Canada - which is why it is called German or German gold.

Hallmark 333 gold

In the CIS, the standard ceased to exist after the collapse of the USSR, although in the old days it took place and today the 375 standard is widely used and is the minimum acceptable alloy of the gold industry in the countries of the former Soviet Union

Hallmark 333 on a ring - what does it mean and what kind of metal is it, an echo of the Soviet jewelry industry

333 gold purity is equal to 8 carats, the composition of the purest gold for work with such markings is only 33%. Currently, this precious metal is not used in the jewelry industry of the Russian Federation. 333 metal replaced 375 standard immediately after the collapse of the USSR.

New products with this mark are produced only abroad.

Hallmark 333 on a gold ring

What kind of sample is this

Alloys of 333 standard are called low-cork because of the lowest content of pure precious metal compared to other samples - only 33%. Accordingly, they are cheaper than other gold alloys.

Expert opinion

Vsevolod Kozlovsky

6 years in jewelry making. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds

In Russia, 333 gold products ceased to be produced after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In their place were products made from 375-karat alloys, the minimum permissible proportion of noble metal in which, according to the requirements of the state standard, is 37.5%.

Jewelry marked “333” can still be found today, but they were produced before the collapse of the USSR or abroad.

Carats in 333 standard

The karate system is most widespread in the USA and European countries. Its name comes from the word “carat”, which is the name of a plant previously used in the jewelry industry of Eastern countries.

Gold samples in carats table
The system is designed to assess the authenticity of the precious metal. The carat is not a metric unit of measurement. This system is indicated by the letter designation “K”.

To determine the number of carats in a marking written as a three-digit number, you can use the table:

Alloy color chart

Let us give an example of alloying gold using the most common impurities.

Soviet gold markings

The location of the mark will depend on the type of product. On rings, the markings can be found inside the bezel, while bracelets are marked on the last link.

Throughout Russia, the state inspection inspectorate handles the marking of jewelry products. The marking looks like an outline of two rectangles, inside of which there is an imprint of a woman’s face in a kokoshnik, a sample and a special code.

Soviet gold was branded differently. Instead of a woman's profile, the product can be seen imprinted with a five-pointed star, an integral symbol of that era.

Thus, jewelry made from 333 alloy from the times of the USSR must have a hallmark containing three hallmark numbers, a star sign and a letter indicating the year of manufacture.

Ring and earrings made of old Soviet gold

Features of 8K Alloy Products

The permissible content of a precious component in the material allows products made of precious metal to be classified as jewelry. The physical properties of the alloy make it possible to embody various motifs in products using openwork elements.

Jewelry gold 333 can often be found on the shelves of boutiques in Canada. This material is popular in Germany, which is why the alloy is called Germanic.

At one time, a material containing 1/3 of a noble metal was popular in the Czech Republic, where bronze was added as an alloy. The reliability of the alloy has been tested by many years of practice by craftsmen. There are still products that are more than 100 years old.

Despite the fact that 8-karat gold, according to craftsmen, is of low quality, it has a number of advantages. The material combines low cost and excellent physical properties, allowing the creation of products with intricate fine features that are difficult to produce from other alloys.

Rate of 1 gram of gold of 999 purity and calculation of the cost of purity 333

Prices for gold are set by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, based on the fixing of prices on the London Stock Exchange. The price of a specific sample will depend on the cost of 1 gram of 999 precious metal, which is the highest.

The formula for calculation will be as follows: the metric value of the sample is divided by 1000, and then multiplied by the current price of 1 gram of 999 metal.

For 2022, the price of the highest alloy is about 3,740 rubles. Then the price of 333 alloys is 333/1000 * 3740 = 1245 rubles.

Gold bars

How much is 1 gram of gold in this sample?

Prices vary in accordance with the quotation of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation for 999-carat gold. Based on it, the cost of 1 gram of gold of the required standard is calculated.

For 333 alloy, the minimum price is 870 rubles per gram. The cost changes along with the change in the price of pure gold.

How to determine the authenticity of 333 samples

First of all, it is always worth inspecting the markings. The presence of all the necessary signs minimizes the risk of buying a fake.

The product can be taken to a pawnshop or jewelry workshop, where it will be checked for authenticity using reagents or special devices.

By the way, professional jewelers can determine the sample itself if the composition of the alloy is in doubt.

Determining the authenticity of 333 samples in a pawnshop

How is the purity of a precious metal determined?

The most accurate way to test gold is to apply a reagent to it. Based on the reaction of the reagent to the connection with the alloy, the percentage of precious metal content is determined. For example, the standard of gold from which the jewelry is made is determined in a pawnshop.

There are different types of reagents, each sample has its own. There are three main types:

1. acidic,
2. chlorine gold,
3. potassium iodide.

Only a specialist can determine the gold sample. It is impossible to do this on your own at home.

Recommendations for the care and storage of antique USSR and low-grade German gold

Low-grade precious metal can leave dark spots on the skin due to its high impurity content. However, contrary to popular belief, such an alloy does not darken. Lack of regular care can cause jewelry to fade, but tarnishing is a myth.

Gold jewelry.
Jewelry works of the USSR Recommendations for care and storage for 333 samples will be as follows:

1. Clean your jewelry periodically with washing powder dissolved in warm water. You can clean the products with soft brushes, and then wipe them with a thick-lint towel.
2. Protect jewelry from contact with aggressive chemical elements, iodine, and cleaning agents.
3. Store low-grade “German” gold in a dark place out of direct sunlight. Also, do not place the product near hot batteries.

These tips will help preserve the 333 precious metal's attractiveness and physical properties.

Composition and properties

The composition of alloy “333” includes at least 33.3% pure metal and 76.3% alloy (impurities from various non-ferrous metals). The following are used as ligatures:

• copper,
• brass,
• nickel,
• silver,
• platinum,
• zinc,
• bronze,
• tin.

333 is common in Europe, where the standard metal color is yellow. Therefore, brass is used as an admixture for color correction.

Depending on the types of ligature present in the gold alloy, its melting point ranges from 900 to 1200 °C.

The alloy does not corrode and has high hardness.

Reviews

I noticed sample 333 on the ring that I inherited from my grandfather. I had never encountered such an alloy, so I began to find out on the Internet what these numbers meant. It turned out that the metal itself is not of particular value; the ring is interesting only from a historical perspective. I kept it for myself as a good memory.

Vasily P, Voronezh

Nastya Z. g, Moscow

The first time I saw 333 gold was when I visited a jewelry boutique in Hamburg. I was fascinated by a thin bracelet made of this alloy, incredibly skillfully made. Outwardly, it was no different from more expensive alloys. I, as an ordinary buyer, would never have thought that the gold content of such beauty was low. I bought this bracelet for my daughter.

I wanted to sell the old bracelet to buyers, but 333 gold has a minimum price per gram in Russia. When they told me the final cost, I decided to keep the jewelry for myself. It may be that in ten years it will become more valuable as an antique.

Evgeniy P. g, Ivanovo

Recommendations for care and cleaning

To prevent products from losing their shine and scratches, you must follow simple rules:

• Avoid contact of perfumes and cosmetics with the surface of jewelry. Wash your jewelry periodically using a soft brush and soap.
• At least once a week, remove and wipe the products, check the operation of the locks and the presence of dirt.

Does gold darken

Gold does not darken, even the lowest grade. There are exceptions, but not because of the poor quality of the metal, but because of its reaction to the individual characteristics of the skin of the owner of the jewelry. This happens, as a rule, quite rarely.

However, if your jewelry is darkening or leaving marks on your skin, you should first check the quality of the metal.

Why do gold turn your fingers black?

Most often, the cause of blackening of fingers is a high percentage of copper impurities in the alloy of the product. A lot of copper is found in red alloys, and it is from them that fingers turn black. Most often, the reaction occurs to low-grade gold 333 and 375, but this is not a necessary phenomenon.

The appearance of stripes on the skin from gold

If you run gold jewelry over the skin, sometimes streaks remain on it. There is a myth that this indicates damage to a person. But this is just a consequence of a chemical reaction. The reason again lies in the impurities in gold. Streaks may appear due to their interaction with the skin that has produced sweat, or when a cream or other product is applied to the skin. Alloys react to perfumes, household chemicals, and acids.

Below watch a video about how to test gold using a probe:

What does it mean?

If we translate into the European system of measuring gold content, then 333 samples will correspond to eight carats. This means that 33.3% of the alloy is pure gold, and the remaining 66.7% is impurities, or alloy.

333 gold

A ligature is added to a product to give it certain properties. Sometimes this may involve tweaking the appearance, such as making it white or rose gold. And also the ligature helps not only to reduce the cost of the product, but also to give it strength. Because 999 gold is a soft metal and can be easily deformed.

According to GOST standards, sample 333 is the minimum acceptable. In Soviet times, wedding rings were made from it. The products acquire a yellow-pink tint and are the most durable and durable. The following can be added as a ligature:

• Copper is a substance that significantly reduces the cost of a product.
• Brass.
• Nickel – Adding this metal in large quantities can have negative health effects.
• Zinc.
• Silver is also added to the alloy, often along with copper.
• Platinum is the only metal that, on the contrary, will increase the cost of the final product several times. But this situation is rarely observed.

Many people obtain gold containing 33.3% pure substance at home, independently extracting it from radio components or other elements. At the same time, cleaning and refining are poorly carried out. Or specially during smelting they add a lot of alloy, so that in the end the ingot turns out to be a little larger and enough for a homemade product.

Physical properties

Despite the widespread opinion about the reduced physical properties of 333 standard due to the high copper content, namely the oxidation and darkening of jewelry made from this alloy - they are all a myth and reviews confirm this! This metal is not subject to corrosion and other side effects, otherwise it would not be allowed for the production of jewelry, you just need to ensure proper care and proper storage.

Jewelry may darken and take on an unnatural color if the jeweler who performed the work did not follow the standards and did not maintain the proportions of gold content in the composition.

How much does 333 gold cost?

The price of 333 standard gold is determined based on the cost of 999 standard gold and is one third of the amount at the national rate. jar.

If you want to sell jewelry to a pawnshop, then for this alloy you can get from 8 to 12 dollars per 1 gram.

The market price of products may vary depending on the appearance of the jewelry, the dollar exchange rate and the composition of the metal.

However, you can earn a large amount by placing the jewelry at auction, or send information to us and we will post the offer on our website

Use of 333 gold abroad

Jewelers from Germany created a strong 333-carat alloy, which is the strongest of the permitted gold alloys, and some imported jewelry, which can be found at various auctions and in the windows of elite boutiques, celebrated its anniversary of 100 years from the date of production.

In the Czech Republic from 1930 to 1950, this alloy was widely popular, and to this day you can find the official Czech brand in the form of a bee marked on the decoration. And jewelers added bronze to the composition of the metal.

Today, the alloy is used exclusively abroad and produces various inexpensive jewelry:

• Elite office.
• Watch cases.
• Bracelets.
• Chains.
• Cufflinks.
• Brooches.

Fun fact! Conservative models of Parker pens are made from 333 gold.