3 marks on hallmarked gold you must know before buying jewellery

Gold hallmarking in India has evolved from a voluntary scheme to a comprehensive mandate now featuring enhanced transparency. And, after the introduction of HUID in April 2023, primarily three components or marks are integral to gold hallmarking in India, including BIS logo, purity and fineness, and HUID.

Here in this write-up, we will understand about all these three marks and how they are important for gold buyers.

BIS standard mark: The triangular BIS standard logo is an official certification from Bureau of Indian Standards. The mark validates the testing and verification of gold at BIS-authorised labs.

Purity and fineness mark: This mark will explicitly state purity of the gold. For example: 22 carat gold will be marked as 22K916 (signifying 91.6% purity), while 18 carat gold will be put as 18K750 (signifying purity at 75%).

HUID: Hallmark Unique Identification code or HUID is a 6-digit unique and trackable alphanumeric code assigned to each of the gold pieces by the government. This unique coding was announced in order to protect consumers and boost their confidence during the purchase of hallmarked gold jewellery with traceability and assurance of quality

Before the implementation of the 6-digit Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, gold jewellery hallmarking comprised four logos including, BIS logo, purity of the article, logo of the jeweller and assaying and hallmarking Centre.

Why are these 3 marks important for gold buyers?

For reasons stated below, you should always ensure that your gold jewellery piece carries all of these 3 crucial marks:

Consumers interest protected: The sale of hallmarked gold jewellery or artefact without the 6-digit HUID has been prohibited since March 31, 2023. So, as an informed buyer, you can refuse to buy any such gold piece and protect your own interest.

Trust and transparency: Official government certifications create trust and render transparency in the gold buying process.

Purity or fineness mark: This mark ensures the purity level, meaning if the piece specifies 22K purity you actually pay for 22 carat purity and nothing less. Also, the price is charged based on the purity grade, so a 24 carat gold piece is priced higher in comparison to 22 carat and 18 carat gold pieces.

Easy resale: Resale is easy for a hallmarked gold piece bearing all the essential marks. Plus it fetches a fair market value.

Protection against fraud: Jewellers cannot engage in any mis-selling and sell impure gold for pure gold.

Authenticity can be verified: You now have a medium in place - the BIS CARE app using which you can verify the authenticity of the gold piece in seconds by just entering or scanning the HUID.

So, your gold purchase in India can now be simply authenticated and verified if you see all the three specified marks on it.