BIS Hallmark Guide: How Hallmarking Works in India
In India, gold jewellery hallmarking is regulated by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This guide explains what BIS hallmarking involves and how the HUID system lets you verify a piece of jewellery yourself.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is India's national standards body. Among its many roles, it certifies and regulates hallmarking of gold and silver jewellery sold in India, working through BIS-recognised Assaying & Hallmarking Centres that test and mark jewellery.
Since the current hallmarking system was introduced, each individual piece of hallmarked jewellery is given a unique HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) — a 6-digit alphanumeric code, unlike anything on any other piece. Along with the BIS logo and a purity grade (like 916 for 22K), the HUID lets a specific piece be traced back to its testing record.
- 999 — 24K, close to pure gold
- 916 — 22K, the most common purity for traditional Indian gold jewellery
- 750 — 18K, common in diamond and contemporary jewellery
- 585 — 14K
- 375 — 9K
These numbers represent the percentage of pure gold in the alloy, so "916" means 91.6% gold content.
BIS provides a consumer app (BIS CARE) that lets you check a jewellery HUID number against BIS records. If you'd like help reading or verifying the hallmark on a piece, our team at the showroom is happy to walk you through it in person.
Want to check the hallmark on a piece you already own, or one you're considering?