BIS Hallmarking of Gold: HUID, Mandatory Requirements, and Consumer Protection

India's mandatory BIS hallmarking scheme for gold jewellery protects millions of consumers through a verifiable digital identity system for every piece of hallmarked gold.

What the Hallmark Means

A compliant BIS hallmark contains: BIS logo (triangle), purity in fineness (916=22K, 750=18K, 585=14K), AHC identification mark, and the HUID — a unique 6-character alphanumeric code.

HUID: The Game-Changer

The HUID introduced in 2022 links each piece of jewellery to BIS's central database. It records which AHC applied the hallmark, which registered jeweller brought it for hallmarking, the purity, and date of hallmarking. Every piece gets a unique, traceable identity.

Consumer Verification

Consumers can verify HUID authenticity through the BIS Care app (Android/iOS). Enter the HUID and instantly see the hallmarking details. A genuine piece returns verified data; a non-genuine HUID returns nothing or mismatched details.

For Jewellers: Compliance Requirements

• Must be registered with BIS as a licenced hallmarking jeweller
• Can only sell hallmarked jewellery hallmarked through BIS-registered AHCs
• Cannot sell jewellery claiming specific purity without valid BIS hallmark

Penalties

Selling unhallmarked gold or jewellery with false purity claims attracts BIS Act 2016 penalties: fines up to Rs 2 lakh per violation and prosecution in serious cases.