BIS Hallmark Guide: What the Marks Mean & Why They Matter

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) runs India's hallmarking scheme. A hallmarked piece of gold jewellery carries three marks: the BIS logo (a triangle with a dot), the fineness number (916 for 22K, 999 for 24K, 750 for 18K), and a six-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number. Together, they certify that the piece has been tested by a BIS-recognised assay centre and meets the stated purity.

Hallmarking has been mandatory for gold jewellery in India since 2021 (rolled out in phases, starting with the largest districts). Jewellers must be BIS-registered to sell hallmarked gold, and the hallmark is a legal guarantee — selling fake hallmarked gold is an offence.

The BIS logo is the mark of the Bureau itself — it tells you the piece was certified under the BIS scheme. The fineness number tells you the purity: 916 means 22 karat (91.67% pure), 999 means 24 karat (99.9% pure), 750 means 18 karat (75% pure). The HUID number is unique to the piece and lets you verify it.

Older hallmarked pieces (before the HUID system) carry the jeweller's identification mark instead of the HUID number, along with the BIS logo, the fineness number and the assay centre's mark. Both versions are valid hallmarks.

You can verify a hallmark using the BIS Care app: enter the six-digit HUID number stamped on the piece, and the app shows the jeweller, the assay centre and the fineness. If the HUID does not verify, or if the details do not match the piece, the hallmark may be fake — take it to a BIS-recognised assay centre for testing.

You can also check the hallmark visually with a magnifying glass: the marks should be crisp and clear, not blurred or shallow. A reputable jeweller will show you the hallmark before you buy and explain it — if a jeweller is reluctant to show the marks, walk away.

Hallmarked gold resells for more because the buyer does not have to guess the purity — the hallmark is the guarantee. An unhallmarked piece must be tested before a jeweller will buy it, and the jeweller will discount for the uncertainty and the testing cost. Hallmarked gold skips all of that: the jeweller reads the mark and pays the day's rate.

Hallmarking also protects you at purchase: without it, you are trusting the jeweller's word on purity. With it, an independent assay centre has tested the piece. That is why the price difference between hallmarked and unhallmarked gold is worth paying — it is insurance, not a luxury.

Hallmarking certifies the purity of the gold, not the weight, the making quality or the value of any stones. A hallmarked piece can still be overpriced if the making charges are high, and stones (diamonds, gems) are not covered by the gold hallmark — they need their own certification.

Hallmarking also does not apply to gold coins and bars sold as bullion in the same way — those are certified by the mint or refiner instead. And it does not protect against a jeweller overcharging on making charges: always check the breakdown on the invoice, hallmarked or not.