How to check the hallmark on gold and silver jewellery

A hallmark is the government's guarantee that a piece of jewellery is as pure as the shop says. In India, hallmarking is done by centres approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), not by the jeweller. So when you know how to read it, you don't have to take anyone's word for it, including ours.

The three marks on gold

Look closely at the inside of a ring, the hook of an earring or the clasp of a chain. Hallmarked gold jewellery carries three marks:

1. The BIS logo, a small triangle-shaped mark.
2. The purity, written as carat and fineness together, for example 22K916.
3. The HUID, a six-character code of letters and numbers, unique to that one piece.

The marks are tiny. Ask the showroom for a magnifying glass; every good jeweller keeps one at the counter.

What 22K916 means

The number after the K tells you how many parts out of 1,000 are pure gold.

• 22K916: 91.6% gold. Most traditional Tamil Nadu jewellery, such as chains, bangles and thali, is 22 carat.
• 18K750: 75% gold. Common in diamond and studded jewellery, because the harder metal holds stones better.
• 14K585: 58.5% gold. Used for light, everyday pieces.

Lower carat is not "fake" gold. It is a different, harder mix, and it should be priced for the gold it actually contains.

Check the HUID on your phone

Since 1 April 2023, hallmarked gold jewellery in India carries a HUID instead of the older jeweller's mark. You can check any HUID yourself:

1. Install the free BIS CARE app from the Play Store or App Store.
2. Open Verify HUID and type the six characters exactly as marked.
3. The app shows the type of article, its purity, the registered jeweller and the hallmarking centre that tested it.

If what the app shows doesn't match the piece in your hand, for example it says "ring" and you are holding a chain, ask the jeweller to explain before you pay.

Silver hallmarks

Silver can be hallmarked too. The most common grade is 925, meaning 92.5% pure silver, often called sterling silver. Hallmarking is not compulsory for silver the way it is for most gold jewellery, so it is worth asking whether a silver piece is hallmarked and what grade it is.

At Akshaya Velli and its luxury line Zora, our silver is sold hallmarked. If you can't find the mark on a piece, ask any of our staff to show it to you.

Before you pay

• Check that the purity on the hallmark matches the purity written on your bill.
• Make sure the bill lists the weight, purity and HUID of each item.
• Keep the bill. You will need it if you exchange or sell the piece later.