How to check the HUID and hallmark on gold jewellery before you pay: a buyer's checklist

To check gold jewellery before you pay, find three marks on the piece (the BIS logo, a purity mark such as 22K916, and a six-character HUID), then type that HUID into the free BIS Care app under Verify HUID and confirm the result matches what you are holding. Then insist on an invoice that shows the net weight, the carat and the hallmarking charge, because BIS says those bill details are what you will need if you ever have to complain.

The whole check takes about five minutes at the counter. We cite BIS, the Bureau of Indian Standards, throughout, and where a detail comes from a secondary source we say so.

What marks should a hallmarked gold piece carry?

BIS says the hallmark on gold jewellery has three parts, in place since 1 July 2021: the BIS logo, the purity of the article in carat and fineness, and a unique six-character alphanumeric number called the HUID, short for Hallmark Unique Identification. The HUID is unique to each piece and traceable.

BIS says hallmarking covers 14, 18, 20, 22, 23 and 24 carat, so the purity mark changes with the grade. On a necklace the marks are usually near the clasp or on the back of the pendant, on a ring inside the band, and on a bangle inside the edge. They are tiny, so ask for a jeweller's magnifier.

How do you verify a HUID in the BIS Care app, step by step?

BIS's own pages say you can verify a HUID in the BIS Care app using the Verify HUID feature. The app is free, and its publisher is the Bureau of Indian Standards. Screens change between app versions, so treat the steps below as what to look for and not a fixed script.

1. Install the right app. Search for BIS Care on Google Play or the Apple App Store and check that the publisher is the Bureau of Indian Standards. Ignore lookalikes.
2. Register once. BIS says registration is a one-time step with your name and mobile number (email is optional), and your identity is confirmed with a one-time password.
3. Open Verify HUID. It is one of the options on the home screen.
4. Type the six characters exactly. Letters and numbers can look alike on a laser mark, so read the code under the magnifier with the jeweller, not from memory.
5. Read the result. Guides describe it as showing details such as the purity, the type of article, the jeweller's registration and the hallmarking centre. The piece in your hand should match: if the app says a ring and you are holding a chain, or the purity differs from the mark, stop.
6. Screenshot it and keep it with your invoice.

There is also a web route. BIS says seller and manufacturer details can be searched on its website using the HUID, through manakonline.in. For general information, the BIS site is bis.gov.in.

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What should a proper invoice show?

BIS says you need an authentic bill from the jeweller and that details of the hallmarked articles must be in the bill, because they matter in any dispute or complaint. On its page for jewellers, BIS lists what the bill should carry: a description of each article, the net weight of the precious metal, the purity and the hallmarking charges. Use the table as your check at the counter.

What should you do if the HUID does not verify?

Pause before you pay. A failed lookup has simple explanations, such as a typing slip, and serious ones, such as a mark that was never registered. Work through these in order.

1. Re-enter the code slowly under the magnifier, character by character.
2. Ask the jeweller to check it on their side and to show their BIS registration. BIS publishes a list of licensed jewellers on its website, and the BIS Care app lists registered jewellers too.
3. Do not buy a piece whose details do not match. If the purity, article type or jeweller differs from the app, ask for another piece or walk out.
4. If you have already paid, photograph the marks and the invoice, and get the purity checked. BIS says you can have a hallmarked piece verified at any BIS-recognised assaying and hallmarking centre, and BIS's FAQ gives ₹200 as the testing charge for a consumer (fire assay method).
5. Write to the jeweller asking for a replacement or refund, then escalate to BIS.

Where do you complain, and what can you claim?

BIS says complaints can be made both online and offline and are recorded centrally at its Complaints Management and Enforcement Department. Online, you can use the BIS Care app, which has a Complaints option for misuse of the hallmark among other issues, or the BIS complaints portal. The app gives you a complaint number so you can track progress.

On compensation, BIS's page for jewellers describes Rule 49 of the BIS Rules, 2018. If a retest finds the purity below what was declared, BIS says the buyer is entitled to two times the money value of the shortfall in purity for the weight sold, plus the testing charges. The registered jeweller who made the sale is the party liable.

If the dispute is about a refund and the jeweller will not co-operate, you can also call the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 (8 AM to 8 PM) or register at consumerhelpline.gov.in. This page is general information and not legal advice.

When is hallmarking not required?

Mandatory hallmarking applies in districts notified by the government, not across the whole country, so a piece without a hallmark is not automatically illegal in every town. The list keeps growing: 380 districts from 2 March 2026, extended by later orders (a Third Amendment Order of 3 August 2026 took coverage to 392 districts, according to Business Standard), so check the current BIS list for your district.

Under the BIS rules these are exempt from mandatory hallmarking:

• Pieces weighing under 2 grams
• Jewellers with annual turnover up to ₹40 lakh, although they can register with BIS voluntarily and sell hallmarked pieces
• Kundan, Polki and Jadau jewellery
• Gold bullion such as bars and coins, gold thread, watches and fountain pens, export goods and a few other categories

Exempt does not mean unsafe, it means nobody has tested the piece for you. If a piece has no hallmark, ask whether the jeweller is registered and whether it can be hallmarked, and consider a purity test before a big purchase.

What about silver jewellery?

As far as we can find, BIS treats silver hallmarking as voluntary at present, so a silver piece without a mark is not automatically a problem. A hallmarked silver piece carries the BIS mark, a purity grade and a HUID, according to news reports on the revised silver standard, and BIS lists ₹35 per article as its silver hallmarking fee.

Reports in 2026 say BIS is studying making silver hallmarking mandatory, but we could not find a notification confirming it. Check BIS before you rely on either position.

Your shop-tour checklist before you pay

Screenshot this list and take it with you.

• Is the jeweller BIS registered? Ask to see the registration.
• Does the piece carry the BIS logo, a purity mark and a six-character HUID? A magnifier helps. Check jewellery loupes on Amazon
• Does the HUID verify in the BIS Care app, and do the purity and article type match?
• Does the invoice show a specific description, gross, stone and net weight, and the purity?
• Is the HUID written on the bill, and does the hallmarking charge look sensible?
• Is GST 3 percent on the total value, making charges included?
• Do you know how the making charge is calculated?
• Do you have the buyback or exchange terms in writing?
• If the piece is exempt, such as under 2 grams or Kundan, Polki or Jadau, have you decided whether to test it?

Frequently asked questions

Your next step: install BIS Care and try Verify HUID on a hallmarked piece you already own, so it is familiar when it counts. Then read our making charges guide, compare daily-wear designs in our mangalsutra guide, and see which names to visit in our jewellery brands comparison.