Before buying gold jewellery for Dhanteras or Diwali, check three things separately: the gold's declared purity, the complete amount payable, and the seller's written terms. Set your spending limit before visiting the shop. Leave enough time to inspect the actual piece, verify its hallmark and read the bill before paying. The shopping suggestions below are practical checks; official requirements are linked to their sources.
Where mandatory hallmarking applies
Mandatory hallmarking has district-based coverage and specified exemptions. BIS's phase-wise district list runs to 392 districts, including the eighth phase dated 3 August 2026. That phase added Jhargram, Angul, Bhandara, Udham Singh Nagar, Panipat, Bhind and Vidisha. For the current district names, consult the August 2026 order's annexure; do not rely on an older district count.
The BIS jeweller FAQs list exemptions including articles weighing less than two grams, jewellers with annual turnover up to Rs 40 lakh, and specified categories such as Kundan, Polki and Jadaau. These are examples, not the complete list. If a shop claims an exemption, ask which provision applies. Our buying preference is a verifiable hallmarked piece, even when an exemption may apply. Check the district where the seller operates before visiting.
Read the hallmark on the actual jewellery
BIS describes hallmarking as recording precious-metal content. Its general FAQs identify three components of the gold hallmark: the BIS logo, purity expressed in caratage and fineness, and the HUID. HUID means Hallmark Unique Identification: the often-called six-digit code is alphanumeric, so it contains letters and numbers. Each hallmarked item has its own identifier.
Ask the salesperson to show all three marks on the piece you will receive. Read the characters yourself and photograph them if possible. Do not treat a shop tag or a loose purity certificate as a substitute for inspecting the article. For buying decisions, treat the hallmark as a purity check and assess the price and exchange promise separately.
The six grades listed in the BIS purity table are 14K585, 18K750, 20K833, 22K916, 23K958 and 24KS995. Fineness is expressed in parts per thousand: 916 therefore means 91.6% gold. A March 2026 ministry clarification confirms these six mandatory caratages and says 9K hallmarking is available voluntarily. Match the grade you choose across the article, quotation and bill.
Verify the HUID in BIS CARE
Start from the official BIS CARE page to find the app for Android or iOS. Install it before your shopping visit and complete any registration prompts. At the counter, open Verify HUID and enter the six characters read from the jewellery.
The ministry's HUID explanation says the result identifies the jeweller who obtained hallmarking, their registration number, the article's purity and type, and the hallmarking centre. Compare the returned purity and article type with your piece. The named jeweller is the one who obtained hallmarking; do not assume it must always be the retail shop.
Save the result with your purchase records. If the code is unreadable, produces no result or shows conflicting details, recheck the characters and ask for an explanation before paying. If the app is unavailable, postpone verification rather than recording the piece as checked. A successful lookup should not end your physical inspection or bill checks.
Compare making charges and the final total
Request an itemised written quotation. Ask for the gold rate for your chosen purity, net gold weight, stone or other material charges, making charges, any wastage charge, hallmarking charge, discounts and GST. Ask whether making charges are a fixed amount, a per-gram amount or a percentage, and what weight or value the calculation uses.
For a making-charge discount, ask the shop to show both the original charge and the reduced charge. Compare the final payable amount for pieces of the same purity and similar net gold weight. Do not choose solely by the largest discount percentage. For studded jewellery, ask the seller to explain how the quotation separates precious metal from stones and other materials.
For a retail sale of finished jewellery, CBIC's Gems and Jewellery FAQ, question 7, specifies 3% GST on the total transaction value, including making charges even when shown separately. Do not apply a separate 5% making-charge rate to that ordinary retail purchase. If you are supplying your own gold for remaking or commissioning a separate service, request the applicable tax treatment in writing.
Get a bill that identifies what you bought
Clause 7.3 of the BIS jeweller guidelines requires the bill for hallmarked articles to give a separate description of each article, net precious-metal weight, purity in carat and fineness, and hallmarking charges. It must also mention that purity can be verified at a BIS-recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre.
Additionally, ask for the seller's name and address, invoice date and number, gold rate used, stone details, making charges, discounts, tax breakdown and final amount. Where GST is charged, check that the seller's GSTIN appears. Match the amount to your payment record. These additional shopping checks help you keep an understandable record of the transaction.
Ask for each HUID to be recorded against its article. However, the BIS jeweller FAQs say printing HUIDs on invoices is voluntary. Treat this as a useful request, not a mandatory invoice requirement. For a gift, keep a digital copy yourself and give the recipient the purchase and exchange information.
Read buyback and exchange terms before paying
Ask for separate written explanations of cash buyback, exchange for another piece, and returns after purchase. Do not assume that an exchange promise means the shop will pay the same amount in cash. Have the salesperson demonstrate the calculation using your proposed purchase, without relying on a future gold-price prediction.
- Which gold rate and purity will be used when valuing the piece later?
- What deductions will apply for testing, melting, handling or other reasons?
- Will stones receive any value, and will making charges or taxes be credited?
- Does the promise cover cash repayment, store credit or only another jewellery purchase?
- Must you retain the invoice, visit the original branch or meet a deadline?
Keep the policy with the invoice and save any offer that influenced your decision. If exchanging old gold now, obtain its weight, assessed purity, deductions and exchange credit in writing before agreeing to the new purchase. Ask permission-related questions before any cutting or melting, and request an explanation of the proposed testing method.
Where to complain
First write to the seller with the invoice, HUID, photographs, verification result and a short explanation of the problem. State the remedy you want and keep the response. Preserve the jewellery while seeking advice about testing; avoid authorising alterations that you have not understood.
For suspected hallmark misuse or purity problems, the BIS complaint guidance provides BIS CARE, online complaint registration through BIS, and [email protected]. Its consumer-protection page also explains paid testing at recognised centres. For a proven purity shortfall in hallmarked jewellery, it describes compensation as twice the monetary difference arising from the shortage, plus testing charges; this is not twice the full purchase price.
For a wider unresolved consumer dispute, contact the National Consumer Helpline online or on 1915. NCH describes its service as pre-litigation grievance redressal, without guaranteeing a remedy. Keep the docket number. Our consumer complaint guide helps you organise the evidence.
Quick checklist
- I have set a total budget and compared written quotations.
- I have checked district coverage and questioned any claimed exemption.
- I have inspected the hallmark and verified the HUID on the actual piece.
- The purity and net gold weight match the quotation and bill.
- I understand making charges, other charges, discounts and GST.
- I have written buyback and exchange terms, plus copies of the bill and payment record.
For your other festive purchases, use our Diwali shopping plan to keep the jewellery purchase within your overall budget.
Sources
All official sources below were checked on 20 October 2026. Recheck district coverage and seller terms before purchasing.
- BIS: phase-wise districts and 3 August 2026 order.
- BIS: general FAQs, jeweller FAQs and jeweller guidelines.
- BIS: BIS CARE, consumer FAQs and testing and compensation.
- Ministry of Consumer Affairs via PIB: mandatory grades and voluntary 9K; HUID verification details.
- CBIC: Gems and Jewellery GST FAQ.
- National Consumer Helpline: contact channels and grievance process.
