Hallmark signs

Hallmarked gold consists of three symbols that prove that a gold article has undergone hallmarking as per the processes set by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). These include:

1. BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) logo
2. Purity in karat and fineness
3. Six-digit alphanumeric hallmarking unique ID code

Hallmarking is the process of verifying and certifying the purity of gold in karats and fineness as per the standards set by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). Every hallmarked gold item has three symbols - BIS logo, purity in karat and fineness (e.g. 22k916), and a six-digit alphanumeric hallmarking unique ID code or HUID.

BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) hallmarking consists of three symbols to ensure the purity of gold. Know how a gold hallmark looks - https://www.mygoldguide.in/all-you-need-to-know-about-hallmarking

1. BIS logo - The logo of the Bureau of Indian Standards that confirms the hallmarking has been done as per the standards and processes set by the BIS. Until recently, the hallmarking process was voluntary, but as of June 23, 2021 , gold hallmarking is mandatory by law.
2. Purity in karat and fineness - Differs according to the purity of your gold; 24K999 for 24 karat gold, 23K958 for 23 karat gold, 22K916 for 22 karat gold, 20K833 for 20 karat gold, 18K750 for 18 karat gold, and 14K585 for 14 karat gold.
3. 3. Six-digit alphanumeric hallmarking unique ID code - A code unique to every piece of jewellery and gold product.

If a piece of gold jewellery is hallmarked, you can be sure that you are getting the right value for your money, and your gold has been verified and certified for its fineness, karatage, and the amount of gold, as per the processes set by the BIS.

Hallmarked gold helps you in several situations:

• If you want to buy gold jewellery and want to be assured that you are getting what you pay for
• If you want to upgrade or upcycle the jewellery that you have inherited from your family and convert it into more modern, contemporary designs
• If you want to sell your gold jewellery
• If you want to take a loan against your gold jewellery

Gold is chemically separated from other metals, and its purity is tested through the X-ray fluorescence technique. A gold hallmark does not damage your jewellery. To know more about the rigorous process of gold hallmarking, watch this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH83K_En1ws

At present, mandatory hallmarking is done for six grades of gold – 24 karats, 23 karats, 22 karats, 20 karats, 18 karats, and 14 karats. Depending on the karatage of your gold jewellery, the 'purity and fineness' symbol of your gold hallmark would look like this:

• 24K999 for 24 karat gold
• 23K958 for 23 karat gold
• 22K916 for 22 karat gold
• 20K833 for 20 karat gold
• 18K750 for 18 karat gold
• 14K585 for 14 karat gold

Hallmarking in India has been made mandatory for all kinds of gold jewellery items from June 2021 onwards. All gold jewellery items of 14, 18, 20, 22, 23 and 24 karats being sold must be hallmarked as per the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) guidelines.

Is the mandatory hallmarking order applicable for gold coins and bars too? No, the order is currently applicable only for gold jewellery and artefacts. Gold bullion/coins of 999/995 fineness are permitted to be hallmarked by BIS approved Refinery/Mints (43 licensed refineries are in operation at present as on January 19, 2022). The list of BIS licensed Refineries/Mints is available at BIS website www.bis.gov.in.

Yes, all gold jewellery items being imported and of the six purity levels prescribed under the mandatory hallmarking order, must be hallmarked before being sold.

Hallmarking ensures that the gold jewellery you purchase is worth the money you pay. It assures you of the purity and fineness of your gold. It is also easy to sell hallmarked gold as the buyer will offer you the right value. A hallmark also assures you that your gold has been ethically sourced.

Your gold will not lose its value if not hallmarked. However, you would be risking getting less than you pay for. For example, you might be given 14 karat gold on purchase of 18 karat gold, which cannot happen if your gold has been hallmarked as per BIS standards. You can also never be sure exactly how much gold you have. It is also difficult to sell non-hallmarked gold as its purity and fineness are not certified. So, the buyer may not offer you the right value. Without a hallmark, selling, upgrading, or taking a loan against your jewellery becomes risky because you don't know exactly how much your gold is worth.

Hallmarking in India is monitored by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards), the national standards organisation of India. The BIS is the only entity that can authorise Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) to hallmark gold and license jewellers to sell hallmarked gold.

Across India, gold hallmarking has now been made mandatory from June 23, 2021. This means that all gold jewellery manufactured and being sold after this date must necessarily be hallmarked.

The list of BIS-licensed jewellers is available on: http://bit.ly/BISJewellers. You can also check if a jeweller is licensed by the BIS by asking for a BIS certificate at their store and confirming that the jeweller's mark matches the one mentioned in the list.

Yes, you can get your old gold hallmarked either through the jeweller or by visiting one of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) recognised by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). You can obtain a certificate ascertaining the purity level of your gold from an AHC at a minimal fee of Rs. 45. You can find the list of all the 1050+ centres here - http://bit.ly/BISCentre

Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHC) are licensed by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) to test and certify the purity and fineness of gold in a gold item and hallmark it. These centres certify that a piece of gold jewellery conforms to the BIS standards of purity and fineness. All gold jewellery undergo the process of hallmarking at an AHC.

The BIS regularly inspects Assaying and Hallmarking Centres through surprise checks and raids done by BIS officials. These officials check the machines being used for hallmarking, the technicians' skills using these machines, the process adherence, and the infrastructure at the centre.

No. The BIS licenses only those Assaying and Hallmarking Centres with requisite infrastructure and quality management system as per IS 15820:2009 - General requirement for competence of Assaying and Hallmarking Centres.

The BIS regularly inspects Assaying and Hallmarking Centres through surprise checks and raids done by BIS officials. These officials check the machines being used for hallmarking, the technicians' skills using these machines, the process adherence, and the infrastructure at the centre.

No. The BIS licenses only those Assaying and Hallmarking Centres with requisite infrastructure and quality management system as per IS 15820:2009 - General requirement for competence of Assaying and Hallmarking Centres.

The list of BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres is hosted on the BIS website. Check if the AHC you are at is part of this list: http://bit.ly/BISCentre

You can get your gold coins, gold bars, and other gold articles tested for purity at any Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC) listed here http://bit.ly/BISCentre

To get any gold article hallmarked or to get an existing hallmark verified, you can visit any of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) recognised by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). You can obtain a certificate ascertaining the purity level of your gold from an AHC at a minimal fee of Rs. 45. You can find the list of centres here - http://bit.ly/BISCentre

You can get your gold coins tested for purity at any Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC) listed here http://bit.ly/BISCentre

To get gold coins hallmarked or to get an existing hallmark verified, you can visit any of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) recognised by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). You can obtain a certificate ascertaining the purity level of your gold from an AHC at a minimal fee of Rs. 45. You can find the list of centres here - http://bit.ly/BISCentre

You can get your gold bars tested for purity at any Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC) listed here http://bit.ly/BISCentre

To get gold bars hallmarked or to get an existing hallmark verified, you can visit any of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) recognised by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). You can obtain a certificate ascertaining the purity level of your gold from an AHC at a minimal fee of Rs. 45. You can find the list of centres here - http://bit.ly/BISCentre

The hallmarking charge is Rs. 45 per gold article borne by the jeweller, not you, as the buyer. This cost applies regardless of the size, weight, or purity of your gold piece. However, the piece must be a minimum of 2 grams for you to get it hallmarked.

It takes about 7-8 hours to hallmark a gold article. If your jeweller informs that they can get it hallmarked in just a few minutes or hours, check if the BIS licenses them because only AHCs can hallmark gold. You would usually need to leave your gold with your jeweller for a day while they get it hallmarked at a BIS licensed AHC. However, purity testing can be done in less than an hour at any AHC.

As per BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) norms, the minimum amount of gold that can be hallmarked is two grams.

Yes, you can find the three symbols of hallmarking on the metal part of the gold jewellery embellished with stones and pearls. However, the hallmark only confirms the purity of the gold and not of the stones or other gems used in the jewellery. And if your jewellery piece consists of 2 pieces of gold intertwined together (like a chain to tie the ends of a necklace), each would need its own hallmark.

Across India, gold hallmarking officially become mandatory on June 23, 2021. This means that all gold jewellery manufactured after this date must necessarily be hallmarked. However, jewellers were given one year to clear existing stocks and for the BIS to set up more AHCs. Thus, after June 23, 2021, it is illegal to sell anything other than hallmarked gold jewellery. If you own gold jewellery that is not hallmarked, this is the right time to ask your jeweller to get it hallmarked for you. It is crucial that you, as a gold buyer, are aware of what hallmarking is and make sure to demand hallmarked gold jewellery from your trusted and favourite jewellers.

You can get your gold jewellery tested at any Assaying and Hallmarking Centre listed here http://bit.ly/BISCentre

You can obtain a certificate ascertaining the purity level of your gold from an AHC at a minimal fee. At the same time, jewellers may offer to test the purity of your gold as well. Getting it done at a BIS-licensed AHC guarantees that the testing is being done as per BIS standards.

Yes, the process of gold hallmarking can certify the purity and fineness of your gold. Depending on the karatage of your gold jewellery, the 'purity and fineness' symbol of your gold hallmark would look like this: 24K999 for 24 karat gold, 23K958 for 23 karat gold, 22K916 for 22 karat gold, 20K833 for 20 karat gold, 18K750 for 18 karat gold, and 14K585 for 14 karat gold.

Hallmarking is highly safe for your gold jewellery when done correctly. When hallmarking is done at a BIS-licensed Assaying and Hallmarking Center, you don't need to worry about the design or the gold on your jewellery getting changed at all.

First, always buy BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard) hallmarked gold as this guarantees the purity and fineness of your gold. Secondly, always ask for a bill of purchase that mentions details like the weight of your gold, the gold rate that day, the calculation of making charges, the date of the purchase, etc.

If your jeweller has sold you gold claiming its purity to be higher than what the hallmark confirms, the jeweller will have to replace your jewellery according to the existing scheme, and their BIS license may be in jeopardy.

No, the three symbols of hallmarking are embossed using a laser technique that will not affect the design of the gold jewellery.

You can find the list of BIS-certified jewellers on the BIS website - http://bit.ly/BISJewellers. You can check the jeweller name by searching for the HUID on the BIS site or BIS care app.

If your gold jewellery is found to be of lesser purity than the hallmark mentions, the differential amount of the gold would be paid to you in double once your complaint with the BIS has been verified. Also, the testing charges would be refunded to you by the centre that hallmarked the jewellery. To know more, read What are the steps taken by BIS to maintain the standard of gold hallmarking?

In case the purity of hallmarked jewellery is found to be less than that declared by the jeweller, you may file a complaint in any BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) office in India. You can submit an online complaint on www.bis.gov.in or the BIS Care mobile app. Or send an email to complaints@bis.gov.in. You can also personally meet or write a letter to the Public Grievance officer of the nearest Regional/ Branch office of BIS or the Head of Consumer Affairs Department. On receiving a complaint, BIS officials will investigate the matter and take suitable actions.

If an Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC) wrongly hallmarks a gold article, the BIS will investigate the matter, and the AHC shall be liable to pay the penalty. In addition to penalty payment, the AHC shall be de-recognised if three failures are observed in one year.

The penalty is calculated as shown below:

1. First failure: Penalty amount = Difference in fineness observed on testing X weight of gold article X gold rate X 2
2. Second failure (within 6 months from the date of drawl of the first sample): Penalty amount = Difference in fineness observed on testing X weight of gold article X gold rate X 5
3. Third failure (within 12 months from the date of drawl of the first sample): Penalty amount = Difference in fineness observed on testing X weight of gold article X gold rate X 10 gold rate as applicable on the day of testing of the sample

BIS-licensed jewellers follow the standards of purity and fineness laid down by the BIS and thus maintain the quality of the gold jewellery, bars, coins, artefacts, etc they sell. Also, the BIS conducts surprise inspections at these outlets to ensure the norms are followed. Thus, the value of the gold purchased from BIS-certified jewellers is guaranteed. Here's the list of BIS-licensed jewellers: http://bit.ly/BISJewellers

Yes, regardless of the colour, all gold jewellery items of the prescribed karats must be hallmarked as per BIS guidelines. Depending on the karatage of your gold jewellery, the 'purity and fineness' symbol of your gold hallmark would look like this: 24K999 for 24 karat gold, 23K958 for 23 karat gold, 22K916 for 22 karat gold, 20K833 for 20 karat gold, 18K750 for 18 karat gold, and 14K585 for 14 karat gold.