First, we have to examine what are the numbers and letters inscribed on the ring.
Upon searching, we found that this item is an 18 karat "Gold Electroplate" made by the R.S Covenant Jewelry (hence, the GERSC hallmark).
Electroplated gold means that the piece of jewelry is made of some less expensive material, but has a thin layer of gold on the surface.
By Federal standards, in order to be called gold electroplate (or G.E.), the gold must be at least 7 mils (millionths of an inch) of an inch thick and of a fineness of 10K or better.
The words goldtone and gold wash are Federally approved terms for items less than 7 mils, however, "layered in 14K gold" is commonly used. There is no Federal standard for the word "layered", so it can mean any thickness of gold, even as low as 1 mil.
And since it's an 18 karat GE ring, the surface is made up of 75% gold and 25% alloy (since pure gold [24K] is rarely used in jewelry because it is too soft).
Get more facts about gold at ForemostJewelry.com.
Collectors of gold know that this precious metal has unique properties that can be identified through careful examination. You can learn to identify genuine gold and avoid being misled through devious practices.
Protect your assets and be certain that the gold you buy matches the published claim. Here are 5 simple ways to spot fake gold shared by sbcgold.com.