Gold Hallmarks - How to Identify Hallmark on Gold Jewellery

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Importance of Hallmarking for Gold Jewellery

When purchasing any gold product, you must ensure that your gold jewellery/coin is hallmarked by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This bureau certifies the purity of gold through hallmarking. Moreover, the central government has made hallmark logo on gold mandatory as of June 16, 2021. This means that any gold jewellery sold by an Indian jeweller must bear the BIS hallmark to ensure its purity.

Read through the following sections to know how you find out if a piece of jewellery is fake or genuine.

Check for BIS Standard Mark

BIS logo is the first hallmark on gold jewellery. Check the gold hallmark it will be triangle shaped. The presence of this logo on gold jewellery indicates that the gold’s purity has been verified at a BIS-certified facility.

Check Purity or Fineness Grade

The second way to assess hallmark symbol on gold is by checking the purity or fineness grade. This symbol indicates the degree of purity of gold in a specific piece of gold jewellery. A gold jewellery’s price depends on the purity of the gold and it is represented by gold hallmark logo.

According to the BIS website, gold jewellery features gold hallmark symbol in six different weights: 14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 23K, and 24K.

Gold jewellery's hallmarks range between 24k999, 22K916, 18K750, 14K585, and so on. Here’s what these signs mean:

If a piece of gold jewellery has 22K916 stamped on it, it means that it contains 91.6% gold, and the remaining 8.4% is other metals such as zinc, etc.
Similarly, 18K750 gold jewellery denotes that a specific piece of gold jewellery contains 75% gold, and the remainder is other metals.
14K585 indicates that the gold product is 14-carat gold containing 58.5% gold. The rest includes other alloys.

Knowing how to identify hallmark gold in this aspect can help you make an informed decision. Furthermore, by purchasing hallmarked and pure gold, you increase your chances of availing a gold loan through reputed online platforms, such as Bajaj Markets.

Check the Six-digit Alphanumeric Code

The third hallmark sign on gold jewellery is a six-digit alphanumeric code embossed on your item. This code, also known as a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, is unique to each piece of jewellery. Customers can use the BIS Care App to validate this alphanumeric code. You can also use your smartphone to download this App. Furthermore, you can utilise the 'Verify HUID' feature of this app to verify the alphanumeric code of a jewellery as well as its purity.

Please keep in mind that mentioning the six-digit HUID code on the bill is not currently mandatory.

Why Should You Buy Hallmarked Gold Jewellery

Hallmarking acts like a purity mark of gold. It helps you distinguish between genuine and fake gold items. Thus, looking for this logo brings along certain benefits, such as:

If your jewellery features a hallmark logo, you will receive its full value at the time of sale.
The BIS hallmark jewellery is a mark of purity of gold and a jeweller. That is, you can trust the quality of gold to be genuine and guaranteed.
You can obtain a high-value amount as a loan for your jewellery. Meanwhile, if your gold does not have a hallmark sign, you will receive a mere percent of the gold’s value. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted gold loan companies to lend borrowers up to 75% of the value of hallmarked jewellery.
Anyone can tell the difference between genuine and fake precious metal jewellery. Nowadays, jewellers carry their personal hallmark as well, but the BIS hallmark is more widely accepted.

While looking for the hallmark logo on gold, keep in mind that the fees for hallmarking are very low, so don't be misled by jewellers who claim that hallmarking makes gold items more expensive. These fees must be paid by the jeweller or may be added to the final cost of your jewellery.

Hallmarking of gold is important because it confirms jewellery’s purity that you chooser to buy. Mandatory hallmarking will help to organise this industry and standardise the purity of gold jewellery.

How to identify a real hallmark?

To identify a real BIS hallmark, check whether it consists of these three symbols:

The initial symbol is the BIS logo
The second denotes purity and fineness
The third represents a six-digit alphanumeric code

How to identify real gold coins?

Here is a list of some tests you can conduct to check the authenticity of a gold coin:

Stamp Test: Checking for official markings or stamps on gold to verify authenticity
Skin Test: Using gold on the skin to observe any discolouration or allergic reactions
Magnet Test: Assessing if gold is attracted to a magnet, as real gold is not magnetic
Ceramic Test: Scratching gold against ceramic to inspect colour and authenticity
Acid Test: Applying acid to gold to determine its purity based on the reaction