Gold hallmarking explained: 65 crore articles marked and how to check your jewellery

More than 65 crore gold articles have been given a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number since hallmarking became mandatory in 2021, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) says, and buyers can now check any piece on their phone.

The figure is as of 15 October 2026, according to a PIB backgrounder on the system. Over the same period the number of BIS-registered jewellers rose from 43,153 to 2,36,624, and recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) grew from 948 to 1,565.

Why hallmarking exists

Gold is too soft for jewellery, so it is alloyed with other metals, which, the backgrounder notes, can create room for adulteration and misrepresentation of purity. Purity is hard to judge in intricate pieces with many joints or in gold-plated articles. Hallmarking certifies purity against prescribed standards so buyers do not pay for a higher purity than they receive.

How coverage grew

• 2000: voluntary hallmarking scheme launched, with BIS as the sole agency.
• 2005: scheme for silver articles launched.
• 23 June 2021: gold hallmarking made mandatory in 256 districts; coverage has since grown to 392 districts.
• 1 September 2025: every hallmarked silver article must carry an HUID code, although silver hallmarking itself remains voluntary. Over 90 lakh silver items have been marked with HUID.

Gold is hallmarked in seven grades under IS 1417: 9K (375), 14K (585), 18K (750), 20K (833), 22K (916), 23K (958) and 24K (995). Silver can be hallmarked in eight grades under IS 2112:2025, from 800 to 999.

What to look for when you buy

Gold jewellery should carry three marks: the BIS logo, a purity mark such as 22K916, and the six-digit alphanumeric HUID. Silver should carry the BIS mark with the word "SILVER", a purity mark such as 925, and the HUID.

How the system is checked

After a jeweller sends items to an AHC, the pieces are weighed and tested, and the BIS server generates the HUID. Weighing balances, X-ray fluorescence machines and laser markers must send data directly to centralised software, and XRF machines were integrated through an API from 1 September 2024 to rule out manual entry. Since 8 June 2026, photographs of the article and its hallmark, plus its weight, are uploaded to the Manak Online portal.

A Transfer HUID facility, whose first phase began on 1 June 2026, lets jewellers move an HUID digitally when gold passes between corporate jewellers or from any jeweller to a corporate entity, which BIS says helps prevent duplicate or fraudulent hallmarking. BIS also samples hallmarked articles at shops, audits AHCs and conducts raids on complaints; in 2025-26 it ran more than 30 enforcement activities over hallmark misuse.

Checking your own jewellery

The free BIS CARE app, available on Android and iOS in 12 languages, shows an article's purity, product type, jeweller and testing centre when you enter its HUID. Since the 8 June 2026 upgrade it also shows photographs of the piece and hallmark and its recorded weight, so buyers can compare the item in hand with the official record. BIS held 1,582 consumer awareness programmes between 1 April and 31 October 2026.

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Source: official release by the PIB Backgrounder, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (05 NOV 2026 2:07PM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: Bureau of Indian Standards Hallmarking.