Any Indian family can relate to this scenario: your mother rummages the attic for her velvet-lined jewelry box and everyone gathers around to guess the value of a cherished necklace. Best Gold jewelry in Coimbatore has long been associated with weddings in Indian culture and is a staple of India's Diwali gold rush. For many families, it is a safe and secure investment with assured savings.
Therefore, knowing the difference in purity is of utmost importance, as even a fraction of impurity can cost you significantly in lost value. With hallmarking rules becoming stricter by the day, here's everything you need to know before buying gold jewelry in 2026.
To put it simply, BIS hallmark certification is a guarantee that your gold jewelry has been tested for purity and accuracy in the declared karat by authorized agencies. Here are a few reasons why BIS hallmark is important in 2026:
With hallmarking turning digital, BIS has made it easier for consumers and sellers to distinguish genuine articles from counterfeit ones by engraving just 3 standard marks on hallmark-certified jewelry.
It is the triangular insignia that certifies that the gold jewelry has been tested and approved by an authorized BIS Assaying and Hallmarking Center.
It is a number-letter combination engraved adjacent to the triangular BIS symbol. It denotes the purity or fineness of gold in terms of K (karat) and a 3-digit number that stands for parts per thousand.
Examples: 22K916, 18K750, 14K585
So, a piece of jewelry with 916 fineness equals 22 karat gold, as 91.6% of the total weight comprises gold.
As the name suggests, it is a 6-digit unique identification number for every hallmark certificate issued. This number is laser-engraved on the jewelry article and corresponds to a certificate digitally stored with BIS.
This certificate stores vital information such as the name of the jeweler, assaying center, and gold purity.
Previously, jewelry hallmarking involved engraving 4 or 5 separate marks with the jeweler's name, hallmark triangle, fineness, and the assaying center marks. However, with the introduction of this unique 6-digit hallmark ID, BIS has digitized the entire process of gold hallmarking.
This makes counterfeiting significantly harder while making verification easier for discerning buyers.
A genuine hallmark should include all 3 of the above-mentioned symbols. Consumers should be wary of jewelry without any of the 3 hallmark symbols as it is a sure indication of being counterfeit.
Verifying gold purity using the BIS Care App is the easiest way to ensure the jewelry you are buying or already possess is genuine and has not been tampered with.
First, you need to install the BIS Care App by searching for it on the Google Play Store or iOS App Store. Only the official BIS Care App is available on the App Store; be wary of third-party apps.
Once you open the app, you will see the option to ‘Verify HUID’ on the home screen. From there, you can enter the 6-digit hallmark number to verify gold purity.
You can either enter the 6-digit HUID manually or click on the option to scan it if available. The moment you enter the HUID, the BIS Care App will display the following information:
If an invalid or a non-existent HUID is entered, the BIS Care App displays a message stating that no data could be retrieved.
The data retrieved using this app should correspond to the details on the bill you receive from the jeweler when you buy hallmark-certified jewelry. Any discrepancy in this information could be an immediate cause for concern.
While BIS hallmark rules are pretty cutthroat regarding purity levels and the mandatory need for a hallmark, there are a few exemptions under specific circumstances.
To understand why hallmarking of old jewelry is not mandatory, keep in mind that these rules are targeted at new jewelry sales with specific exceptions.
There is no law that makes it mandatory for you to hallmark gold jewelry that you already possess. Therefore, it is entirely up to you if you want to take your grandmother's old wedding jewelry to a jeweler and get it hallmarked.
When it comes to gold jewelry, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Always ensure that you check for the BIS triangular insignia, gold purity marks, and a valid 6-digit hallmark ID before investing your money in a gold purchase.
If you are buying bridal jewelry or antique jewelry from Coimbatore, go for jewelers who provide you with a hallmarked bill for your jewelry without questioning. This way, you know that a reputed jeweler has guaranteed the authenticity of your jewelry.
