What Is Hallmarked Gold?

Hallmarking is third-party certification of purity. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) runs the scheme, and accredited Assaying and Hallmarking Centres do the testing and marking.

What the marks mean

A hallmarked piece carries:

• The BIS standard mark — the triangular logo.
• The purity grade — 916 (22K), 750 (18K), 585 (14K), and so on.
• The HUID — a six-digit alphanumeric code unique to that piece, traceable back to the jeweller and the testing centre.

Older hallmarks also carried the assaying centre's mark and a year code. The HUID system replaced that with a single traceable identifier.

Why it matters

Hallmarking protects you twice. At purchase, it means you are paying a 22K rate for metal that is actually 22K. At resale — years later, possibly at a different shop in a different city — it means you are not arguing about purity from a position of no evidence. Un-hallmarked gold is routinely bought back at a discount simply because the buyer has to price in uncertainty.

What hallmarking does not cover

• It certifies the gold, not the stones. Diamond and gemstone quality is a separate certification.
• It says nothing about making charges or whether the design is fairly priced.
• It does not fix the weight basis of your bill. Confirm whether you are paying on gross or net weight.

Practical rule

Buy hallmarked, keep the invoice, and keep the invoice with the item. The bill should state the net gold weight, the karat, the rate per gram applied, making charges, wastage and GST as separate lines. If those lines are collapsed into one figure, ask for them to be broken out.