Gold guide
How to read a BIS hallmark and check a HUID
Every gold piece sold in India now carries a hallmark you can verify on your phone in under a minute. Here's how.
Hallmarking is the official certification of how much pure gold a piece contains. In India it is carried out by assaying centres recognised by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), and the mark is laser-engraved onto the jewellery itself.
The three parts of a hallmark
- The BIS logo: a small triangle, the standard mark.
- The purity grade: for example 22K916, 18K750 or 14K585. The number is the gold content in parts per thousand, so 916 means 91.6% gold.
- The HUID: a six-character alphanumeric code unique to that piece.
What the HUID tells you
The Hallmark Unique Identification links the piece to a record of when and where it was tested and which jeweller registered it. Since April 2023, gold jewellery in India must carry the six-character HUID.
How to check it yourself
- Download the BIS CARE app on your phone.
- Choose 'Verify HUID'.
- Enter the six characters engraved on the piece, using the loupe we'll hand you at the house.
- The app shows the purity, the type of article and the registered jeweller.
What a hallmark doesn't tell you
A hallmark certifies gold purity, not price or the quality of any stones. Gold jewellery is priced by weight at the day's rate, plus making charges, any stones and GST. Ask for those items separately on your quote.
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