Buying gold in India: the hallmark, the HUID, and the charges nobody explains at the counter
Three marks on the piece, one code you can verify yourself, and two charges that decide what you actually pay.
Gold is the one purchase where Indian households spend serious money on a product whose main attribute - purity - is invisible. Hallmarking exists to solve exactly that, and it now gives you something you can verify yourself in under a minute.
What a hallmark consists of
A hallmarked piece of gold jewellery carries three marks.
| Mark | What it is |
|---|---|
| The BIS logo | The standards mark of the Bureau of Indian Standards |
| Purity in caratage and fineness | 22K916, 18K750, 14K585 and so on |
| A six-digit alphanumeric HUID | A unique identifier for that specific piece |
The fineness number is the useful one. 916 means 91.6 per cent pure gold, which is what 22 carat means. 750 is 18 carat, 585 is 14 carat. That translation is worth memorising, because it turns a marketing word into a proportion.
The HUID is the check you can do yourself
The Hallmark Unique Identification code is unique to the individual article and is traceable. Enter it in the BIS CARE app and it returns the item purity, the jeweller and the assaying and hallmarking centre that marked it.
If the code does not resolve, or the details returned do not match the piece in your hand, that is the whole answer. Do this at the counter, before payment, not at home afterwards.
Silver hallmarking has been moving onto the HUID system with digital traceability from September 2025. Because the scope and mandatory status in this area have changed more than once, check the current position on the BIS site rather than relying on what a seller tells you.
Which caratage to buy
- 24K is too soft for jewellery. It exists as coins and bars, for investment.
- 22K is the traditional Indian choice for jewellery - high purity, reasonable durability.
- 18K is harder, holds gemstones more securely and is standard for studded and contemporary pieces.
- 14K is more durable still and cheaper, and is common in daily-wear and export designs.
- Purity affects resale directly. A hallmarked piece is far easier to exchange or sell than an unmarked one.
The charges that decide what you pay
The gold rate is public. The rest of the bill is where the variation lives.
| Line item | What it is | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Metal value | Weight times the day rate for that purity | Is the rate quoted for 22K or 24K? |
| Making charges | Labour, as a percentage or per gram | Percentage or flat? Is it negotiable? |
| Wastage | A traditional add-on for metal lost in crafting | Is it separate from making charges, or included? |
| Hallmarking charge | A per-piece fee | Should be small and itemised |
| GST | Applied on the total | Take the full tax invoice, always |
| Stone weight | Deducted or charged separately in studded pieces | How is stone weight handled in buyback? |
Before you pay
- Watch the piece being weighed, and see the weight on the invoice.
- Verify the HUID in the BIS CARE app at the counter.
- Get a full tax invoice with weight, purity, making charges and stone details itemised.
- Ask the buyback and exchange policy in writing, especially the deduction on making charges.
- For studded jewellery, ask how stone weight is treated in any future exchange.
- Compare making charges across two or three jewellers. On a large purchase that spread is often larger than any festival discount.
Gold buying in India is usually emotional and occasionally rushed. The hallmark and the HUID exist so that at least the part concerning purity does not have to be taken on trust - use them.
Every score on Filtizy is shown working
The factors, weights and thresholds behind a product's number are published in full - including the ones we consider weak.
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