Undated
Premier Designs
This plain PD signature identifies Premier Designs; it names the maker rather than claiming palladium content.
Read the stamp
PD jewelry mark
PD can identify palladium when it accompanies a metal fineness, such as PD950 for 95% palladium. PD also occurs as a Premier Designs costume-jewelry signature, including a crown-and-wreath crest, so the letters alone do not establish the metal.
Examples
Undated
Premier Designs
Premier Designs crest: vertically arranged P and D beneath a crown and within a wreath-like border. The courtesy wording in the current record is a photo credit, not stamped text.
Undated
pd jewelry mark
Official UK 950 palladium fineness design: three adjoining lobes distinguish the metal standard from a plain 950 or brand initials.
official hallmark design illustration
Frequently asked questions
What does PD mean on jewelry?
It can mean palladium in a metal designation such as PD950, or be a maker’s signature such as Premier Designs. Read the number, symbol and surrounding marks together.
What is a crown PD jewelry mark?
The complete crowned PD crest with a wreath-like border is a Premier Designs costume-jewelry signature. It does not mean palladium purity.
Does a PD stamp on a ring mean palladium?
A fineness number or palladium hallmark is needed to support that reading. Plain PD can also be company initials.
Is PD950 the same as PT950?
No. Both numbers mean 95% of the named metal: Pd is palladium and Pt is platinum.
Related marks
2 marksTwo different meanings of PD
PD on jewelry can be a metal designation or a company signature. Pd is the chemical symbol for palladium, a silvery-white precious metal used in jewelry. Premier Designs also used PD as a signature on costume jewelry, both as plain initials and in a decorative crowned crest. Read the whole stamp group before choosing a meaning. A fineness number and a metal hallmark support the palladium reading; the distinctive crown, wreath and intertwined lettering support the Premier Designs reading.
PD950 and palladium purity
PD950 or 950 PALLADIUM denotes an alloy containing 950 parts palladium per thousand, equivalent to 95%. The remaining metal is alloying material. UK palladium fineness standards include 500, 950 and 999: 50%, 95% and 99.9% respectively. These are palladium percentages rather than gold karats. A bare 950 needs its metal context because platinum also uses 950. PT950 identifies platinum, while Pd or the written name PALLADIUM identifies palladium.
The Premier Designs signature
Premier Designs was founded in 1985 by Andy and Joan Horner in Irving, Texas, and sold jewelry through home parties. Its plain PD and crowned crest belong to that costume-jewelry business. In the crest, the P and D are arranged vertically inside a wreath-like border beneath a crown. This is a brand device, not a purity number. A separate trademark containing PD PREMIER DESIGNS was registered in 1994 and records first use in 1991; that registration does not assign a production date to every plain PD or crowned PD stamp.
Palladium hallmarks on a ring
Look inside the ring shank for the entire group, including a maker or sponsor punch. A compulsory UK palladium hallmark combines sponsor, fineness and assay-office marks. The modern palladium fineness surround uses three adjoining rounded lobes, unlike the outline for platinum. The head of Pallas Athena is an optional traditional palladium symbol. UK voluntary palladium hallmarking began in 2009, and the compulsory requirement began in 2010, subject to the applicable weight exemption. These dates describe the hallmarking system, not the first use of palladium jewelry.
Read the shape as well as the letters
A crown above PD is useful when it matches the complete Premier Designs crest; a crown elsewhere can belong to another maker or another hallmark system. Check the position of the letters, border and accompanying wording against a full example. Gold-coloured or silver-coloured plating can change the appearance of costume jewelry. Colour alone cannot distinguish a PD brand signature from palladium metal, and a maker’s initials do not state a precious-metal percentage.