Assaying & Hallmarking: Things every indian gold buyer should know about gold hallmark jewellery

As soon as you enter any jewellery store, you are attracted by the shine you see falling on queues of earrings, bangles, necklaces, rings, and so on. But at the same time, you are hit by a question: Is the gold showcased in these rows pure & authentic?

This should not worry you much, as gold hallmarking in India and gold assaying services are developed for this purpose only. To put it simply, these are an umbrella, ensuring that whatever gold you purchase is pure and reliable, apart from being aesthetically appealing.

If you have the fear of being cheated while buying gold, you are in the right place. In this article, we will discuss everything about BIS certification, hallmarking, and assaying so that you can purchase gold with a sigh of relief.

What is a hallmark?

Basically, it is a stamp of trust on jewellery items. It signifies the purity of gold in the pieces you are purchasing, regardless of karat 22, 18, or even 14.

Bureau of Indian Standards, popularly known as BIS, is an official body which deals with the hallmarking of gold in India. It establishes the standards to give assurance for the fineness and quality of gold products. While purchasing, you might have seen the BIS hallmark on jewellery items; this means that the same have undergone the rigorous testing of the purity & quality.

If the jewellery item is missing the stamp of BIS hallmark, you should have second thoughts about the originality and whether it is actually worth that huge price.

What is the role of assaying in gold jewellery?

Before jewellery is given approval of a hallmark, it undergoes assaying. Assaying is a testing process in which the purity and fineness of gold are carefully checked and examined.

There is a place named assaying and hallmarking centre where advanced techniques are used to check the proportion of real gold present in a gold item in comparison to other metals like silver, zinc, copper, and so on. Once this testing is done, gold items are given stamp of hallmark.

Henceforth, if hallmarking is the approval after which a jewellery item is given a stamp of purity, then assaying is the behind-the-scenes truth test that makes the stamp possible.

Why is hallmarked jewellery essential for Indian gold buyers?

More than shiny metal, gold holds cultural, emotional, and financial significance in India, like gifting on a wedding, buying as a shagun on the occasion of festivities, or buying it for long-term wealth creation. But do you know, not all buyers are aware of the purity of gold, and there are chances of being cheated.

Take note of the following things Hallmarking makes sure of:

Transparency: You will get exactly what you are buying; there is no duplication.
Honest price: This means that you will pay only for real gold material and not for any other hidden metals.
Fair resale value: If your jewellery is hallmarked, you get a fair price when you are planning to resell or exchange it.
Trust factor: There is no scope for being cheated if your item is hallmarked.

So, the bottom line is that it removes your second thoughts of whether the item is real or not; it gives you 100% peace of mind.

Important key marks on BIS hallmarked jewellery

In order to avoid cheating and duplication, you should look for the following signs on the hallmarked gold jewellery you are buying:

Logo of BIS: This will act as evidence that the item you are purchasing is certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
Mark of purity or fineness: This will include the mark of fineness, for example, if you have purchased a gold item of 22 karat with 91.6 purity, the product will carry the sign 22K916.
Mark of Assaying & Hallmarking Centre: It will ensure that the jewellery item was tested in this centre.
Mark of Jeweller’s Identification: This will inform you about which jeweller made the item you purchased.

All these signs assure you of the jewellery itself and act as the certificate of purity.

Why is Karat & Fineness crucial for gold jewellery?

You might have come across 24-carat hallmark or 22K when you visit any jewellery shop, but ever known what these numbers really mean?

24K (99.9% pure): This gold is generally used for coins and bars, as it is quite fragile and soft for jewellery items.
22K (91.6 pure): This is used more commonly for indian gold jewellery.
18K (75% pure): This one is more used for designer jewellery like gemstones, diamonds, and so on.
14K (58.5% pure): This gold type is a durable and pocket-friendly option.

Fineness number on gold items, for example, 916 or 750, tells you how pure the metal is. So, it’s like the purity of the metal increases with the number.

How to verify hallmark of gold jewellery?

Hallmark on all jewellery items doesn’t mean all the products are genuine and have passed the testing. How to identify whether that hallmark is true or not? Well, the credit goes to the technology. It makes this work easier.

Here’s how to verify a hallmark for your gold jewellery:

Always check for the 4 hallmark symbols: BIS, Purity, Centre, and Jeweller
Use the BIS CARE App: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has an app using which you can check whether the jewellery you have purchased is authentic, original, and real. All you need to do is enter the license number of the jeweller from whom you have bought, and you can scan the jewellery to ensure its genuineness.
Do not forget to ask for a bill: Take note of this: An honest jeweller will never deny giving the bill for the item you have purchased from him. Always check for the hallmark details in the bill.

If you are satisfied with these steps, then there is no need to worry about the purity of gold jewellery.

Assaying and Hallmarking Centres for gold jewellery

Our country has several assaying & hallmarking centres that are authorised by BIS. These facilities have devices such as XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) machines that can test the purity of gold without causing any harm to the jewellery. These bodies ensure that hallmarking is a guarantee supported by science rather than merely a sentimental imprint.

What makes BIS hallmark supreme?

There are jewellers who use fake stamp of hallmark symbol, which may look authentic, but in reality, it is not. The primary distinction is that in India, only BIS hallmarking is accepted by law. This clearly indicates that even if your gold item carries a hallmark symbol, there is no guarantee that your product is 100% real. Only the gold jewellery with the official BIS stamp holds value. Nothing else has the same weight as BIS hallmarking, which is supported by science, law, and trust.

What does the future of gold hallmarking have in store for India?

With the advancements in technology, hallmarking is becoming even easier to use and more reliable. Soon, the time will come when, in order to better track gold products from production to sale, blockchain technology and digital records will be implemented.

It’s good news for buyers as this will deepen their trust in buying a pure gold item. The era where, in addition to being incredibly beautiful, Indian gold jewellery will be incredibly real.

So, next time when you are going to buy any gold jewellery, don’t fall for its beauty & shine, get into the technicalities first. Check its hallmark. That small stamp holds the importance that is recognised internationally. It serves as a link between genuine financial worth and emotional value.

All thanks to gold assaying services in India and gold hallmarking services in India. It is due to these that people can buy gold confidently without any worry. The hallmark serves as your guarantee of purity, whether you're purchasing a 22K necklace to make yourself happy, a 24-carat gold hallmark coin, or a ring to gift to your special one.

Thus, be a smart customer. Apart from being a symbol of beauty and heritage, your jewellery should also bear the assurance of confidence. Because gold is treasured in India rather than merely purchased. And it is purity that enables you to cherish it without frowning lines.