What Your Gold and Silver Price Tags Must Say: FTC Labeling Rules Explained

A price tag in a jewelry case does more than show a number. Next to the price, most stores print a short description: "14K yellow gold rope chain," "sterling cuff," "gold-filled hoops." Those few words are covered by federal rules, and getting them wrong can mislead customers even when the price is fair.

This guide walks through what the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries (16 CFR Part 23) say, and how to apply them to your tags.

This is general information, not legal advice. State laws and the National Gold and Silver Stamping Act can add requirements, so check with a professional for your specific situation.

Gold: always state the karat

Under § 23.3 of the guides:

• Plain "gold" means 24 karat. Calling an item "gold" without qualification is misleading unless it is fine gold throughout.
• Alloyed gold needs a karat right before the word "gold." For example, "14 Karat Gold" or "14K Gold," with the karat shown as prominently as the word "gold."
• Hollow items must say so. A hollow chain or bangle shouldn't be called "solid," and the hollow construction should be disclosed.
• Tolerances are tight. For items without solder, the actual fineness can't be more than 3 parts per thousand below the marked fineness; with solder, 7 parts per thousand.

On a tag, "14K gold chain" works. "Gold chain" for a 14K piece does not.

Plated and filled gold have their own terms

The guides set specific thresholds for terms that describe a gold layer over another metal:

• Gold filled: the gold layer must be at least 1/20 of the item's total metal weight, and at least 10K.
• Gold plate / rolled gold plate: at least 1/40 of the metal weight, with the karat stated.
• Gold electroplate: at least 0.175 microns of fine gold; heavy gold electroplate about 2.5 microns.

If a tag simply says "gold" on a plated piece, that's a problem. Spell out "gold plated" or "gold filled" and, where it applies, the karat.

Vermeil

Under § 23.4, "vermeil" may only be used for sterling silver plated with gold of at least 10K and at least 2.5 microns of fine gold. If there's a base metal like nickel under the silver, that has to be disclosed too.

Silver: "sterling" means 925

Under § 23.5:

• "Sterling," "sterling silver" or "solid silver" requires at least 925 parts per thousand pure silver. Our guide to what 925 means on jewelry covers this in more detail.
• "Coin silver" requires at least 900 parts per thousand.
• Unqualified "silver" needs an accurate fineness number in front of it, such as "800 silver."
• Silver-plated or coated items must be described as plated or coated.

Platinum

Under § 23.6:

• Plain "platinum" is allowed only for items at least 950 parts per thousand pure.
• Items at 850 or 900 can be marked with the number before "platinum," for example "900 Plat."
• Items between 500 and 850 parts per thousand need a full disclosure of their makeup.
• Below 500, the item shouldn't be called platinum at all.

Rhodium and mixed metals

• Rhodium plating on an item marked as a precious metal must be disclosed (§ 23.7). This is common on white gold.
• Items with more than one precious metal should list them in order of weight, heaviest first (§ 23.8).

Applying the rules to digital price tags

If you're moving to digital tags, the description field becomes part of your item setup instead of something written by hand each time. That's an opportunity to get it right once:

1. Use a standard description format, such as [karat or fineness] [metal] [item type], for example "14K Gold Rope Chain" or "925 Sterling Silver Cuff."
2. Include construction terms like "hollow," "plated" or "filled" in the same field, not on a separate card.
3. Match the stamp. The description on the tag should agree with the quality mark on the piece. If they disagree, the customer won't know which to believe.
4. Make sure the description is legible from the customer's side of the case. The guides note that quality marks should be visible to buyers; tags should be too.

Prices: honest comparisons

The same "don't mislead" principle applies to the price itself. The FTC's separate Guides Against Deceptive Pricing (16 CFR Part 233) say a "was" price in a sale must be one you actually offered for a reasonably substantial period. When prices follow the gold market, that matters: a price that moved with the market for a day isn't a meaningful "regular price" to discount from.

And in many states, inspectors following NIST Handbook 130 check that the price on the tag is the price charged at the register, with 98% accuracy needed to pass.

Quick reference

Sources

• eCFR, 16 CFR Part 23, Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries
• eCFR, 16 CFR Part 233, Guides Against Deceptive Pricing
• NIST, Handbook 130, Examination Procedure for Price Verification (2026)