Hallmark

Hallmarking is the process of officially certifying the purity and fineness of precious metals — primarily gold and silver — through a standardised marking system applied by an authorised assaying and hallmarking centre, providing consumers with guaranteed quality assurance when purchasing jewellery and bullion. In India, gold hallmarking is regulated by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under the BIS Act, 2016 — with mandatory hallmarking for gold jewellery above specified caratages introduced in phases starting June 2021. The BIS Hallmark for gold consists of three components: the BIS logo (a triangle), the purity in fineness (916 for 22 karat, 750 for 18 karat, 585 for 14 karat), and the six-digit alphanumeric HUID (Hallmark Unique ID) that allows traceability through the BIS Centralised portal. The HUID system enables consumers to verify any hallmarked jewellery piece by entering the HUID on the BIS Care app — confirming the piece's tested purity and registered hallmarking centre. For Indian investors purchasing gold as a savings instrument — whether through physical jewellery, gold coins, or gold bars — hallmarked gold provides assurance of the actual precious metal content and significant protection against adulteration or misrepresentation of purity. BIS hallmarking is mandatory for jewellers above a specified turnover threshold and for all gold ETF and Sovereign Gold Bond redemptions in physical form — ensuring that India's gold market operates with standardised, verifiable quality certification.