Every hallmarked piece of gold jewellery sold in India now carries a HUID, a six-character code that is unique to that one article. It's the most useful consumer protection the gold market has had in decades, and almost nobody checks it. Checking takes under a minute in the Bureau of Indian Standards' own app, and the best time to do it is at the counter, before you pay.
What a hallmark should look like
A valid BIS hallmark on gold jewellery has three parts, stamped (usually laser-marked) together in one small spot: inside a ring band, on a chain's clasp or hook, or on the back of a pendant.
- The BIS standard mark, a small triangle-shaped logo.
- The purity grade, written as karat plus fineness: 22K916 for 22-karat jewellery gold, 18K750 for 18-karat, and so on. The number is parts per thousand of pure gold, so 916 means 91.6%.
- The HUID, six characters mixing letters and numbers, for example "AB12C3". Each HUID is issued for one specific article when it is tested.
The marks are tiny. Ask the jeweller for a loupe (magnifying glass). Every hallmarking jeweller keeps one, and asking for it is completely normal.
Jewellery hallmarked before July 2021 may instead carry the older format: the BIS mark, purity, the hallmarking centre's mark and the jeweller's mark, but no HUID. Those pieces remain valid. They simply can't be checked in the app. Since April 2023, new hallmarked jewellery must carry the six-character HUID; the older four-mark format can no longer be applied.
Step by step: checking a HUID in BIS Care
- Install the app. Search for "BIS Care" in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. It's the official, free app of the Bureau of Indian Standards. Check that the publisher is BIS before installing.
- Register. Enter your name, mobile number and email, and confirm with the one-time password sent to your phone.
- Open "Verify HUID". It's one of the main options on the home screen.
- Enter the code. Type the six characters exactly as stamped, or let the app use the camera to read the mark. Letters and digits that look alike (O and 0, I and 1, S and 5) are the most common typos, so look closely.
- Read the result. For a genuine HUID the app shows the record created when the piece was hallmarked.
What the app shows, and what to compare
The result screen lists the details recorded at the Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC) that tested the piece. Typically that's:
- Purity, e.g. 22K916. This must match both the stamp on the piece and the purity on your bill.
- Type of article: ring, chain, bangle, earrings and so on. A chain's HUID coming back as "ring" is a red flag.
- Jeweller's registration number: the BIS registration of the jeweller who submitted the piece for hallmarking. It doesn't have to be the shop you are standing in (pieces are often made by one firm and sold by another), but a registered jeweller must appear.
- Hallmarking centre name, address and registration number.
- Date of hallmarking.
Three checks matter most: the HUID is found, the purity matches, and the article type matches. If all three line up, the piece was tested and stamped at that purity by a BIS-recognised centre.
If the HUID doesn't verify
- "Not found": re-enter it carefully first, since typos are by far the most common cause. If it still fails, don't buy until the jeweller explains. A genuine new piece should always verify.
- Purity or article type doesn't match: treat it as a serious problem. The stamp may have been applied to the wrong piece, or copied.
- No HUID at all on new jewellery: hallmarking is mandatory for gold jewellery sold in most of India. Small articles under 2 grams are exempt, along with a few other categories. Outside those exemptions, a jeweller should not be selling a new piece without a HUID.
The BIS Care app also has a complaints option where you can report a mismatched or fake hallmark with the HUID, the jeweller's details and photos. Keep your bill: a proper tax invoice lists each item's weight, purity and HUID.
What the HUID does and doesn't tell you
The HUID confirms the purity the piece was certified at. It does not confirm:
- Weight. Weigh it yourself on the jeweller's scale and check that it matches the bill. Stones and enamel should be weighed and priced separately from the gold.
- The price. A perfectly hallmarked 22K chain can still be billed with inflated wastage or making charges. Use the jewellery bill calculator to rebuild the bill from today's 22K rate (currently ₹13,377.90 per gram (22K, Bangalore, 20 Oct 2026)), and read how to read a jewellery bill for what's negotiable.
- Stone quality. Diamonds and coloured stones have their own certificates. The gold hallmark says nothing about them.
Old gold without a HUID
If you're selling or exchanging older jewellery that has no hallmark at all, you can have its purity tested at any BIS-recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre for a small fee. The centre gives you a test report. You don't need to have bought the piece there. That report gives you an independent purity figure before a buyer applies their own, usually lower, assessment. Hallmarked pieces generally get quotes closer to the published rate because the purity doesn't need to be argued over. The 22K vs 24K vs 18K guide explains what each purity is worth relative to the daily rate.
The 30-second counter checklist
- Find the three marks with a loupe: BIS logo, purity (e.g. 22K916), six-character HUID.
- Verify the HUID in BIS Care: it must be found, with matching purity and article type.
- Weigh the piece and match the weight to the bill.
- Make sure the bill lists the HUID, purity and weight for every item.
None of this takes long, and doing it in front of the jeweller tells them you know what you're buying.