Buying Gold Jewellery? Here's How To Check Purity Of Gold, Hallmark Details On BIS Care App

In India, religion and buying gold are closely linked. Gold, a valuable metal, holds significance in various religious rituals. To please Ma Lakshmi, those who can afford it buy gold coins or ornaments, as gold is believed to bring luck. On important days and festivals, both women and men adorn themselves with gold. Akshaya Tritiya is one such festival when a significant amount of gold is purchased.

If you're thinking of buying gold jewellery this Akshaya Tritiya, it's crucial to check the hallmark details before making your purchase. The government mandates hallmarking of gold jewellery as a sign of its purity. Therefore, it's essential to make an informed decision, especially when buying from local jewellers. Let's take a look at how you can verify the purity of gold and hallmark details using the government's BIS Care app. Here's a step-by-step guide:

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What BIS Hallmark is a certification?

The BIS Hallmark is a certification system for the pure metal used in gold and silver jewellery sold in India. It confirms that the jewellery meets the standards set by India's national standards organization, the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Hallmarks are official marks that ensure the quality or purity of precious metal items in several countries. The main objectives of the Hallmarking Scheme are to ensure that manufacturers adhere to legal standards of purity and to protect the public from adulteration. India has included gold and silver as precious metals covered by hallmarking regulations.

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What is gold hallmarking?

Gold hallmarking is the official process of accurately determining and recording the amount of precious metal in items. It involves using special marks, known as hallmarks, which guarantee the purity or quality of precious metal items in India.

Details of gold hallmarking

Gold jewellery can be hallmarked in six categories: 14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 23K, and 24K. The hallmark will be shown as 22K916, 18K750, 14K585, and so on. For example, if a piece of gold jewellery has the stamp 22K916, it means that the piece contains 91.6% gold, with the remaining 8.4% made up of other metals such as zinc.

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Verifying gold hallmarking for purity

When buying gold jewellery, the first step is to verify its purity. The most reliable way to do this is by checking the hallmark on the jewellery piece. The hallmark indicates the official gold content and is certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the authorized agency for certifying gold jewellery in India. Therefore, it's advisable to ensure that the gold you purchase is BIS-certified.

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What is HUID?

The Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, as explained on the Department of Consumer Affairs website, is a six-digit alphanumeric code assigned to each piece of jewellery during hallmarking. These numbers are unique to each piece and are manually stamped onto the jewellery at the Assaying & Hallmarking Centre. The HUID system provides third-party assurance, ensuring customers that they are getting the correct purity of gold or silver for the price paid, thus ensuring value for money.

BIS Care App

Checking gold hallmarking: You can easily download the government's BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) care app from the Google Play Store or the Apple Store. This app is very useful for checking the hallmark details of any gold jewellery you're considering buying.

How to use the BIS care app to verify hallmarking

To verify jewellery hallmarking, go to the "verify HUID" section. Once you select the "verify HUID" option, you'll be taken to a screen where you can enter the HUID of the gold jewellery you want to purchase. Then click on the search option. It will display all the HUID details of the gold jewellery, including the jeweller's registration number, the assaying and hallmarking centre, AHC registration number, AHC address, the article type, the date of hallmarking, and the purity.

Note that?hallmarking of jewellery is compulsory by the government. You should not buy gold jewellery that is not hallmarked.

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