The most reliable protection when buying gold is the BIS hallmark — now mandatory with a HUID number.
What to look for
- The triangular BIS mark
- Purity: 22K916 (22 karat), 18K750, 14K585
- The 6-character HUID — each piece's unique ID
Enter the HUID in the BIS Care app to verify the jewellery's details.
The price math
- Price = (day's rate × weight × purity) + making charge + 3% GST
- Making charges vary shop to shop — ask in percentage and negotiate
- For studded jewellery, get stone weight written separately
Precautions
- Take a proper bill listing HUID, weight, purity and making charge separately
- Ask about exchange/buy-back policy first
- For investment, compare coins/gold ETFs/sovereign gold bonds
When selling old un-hallmarked jewellery, insist on an XRF purity-test receipt.
