BIS Hallmark and HUID Check: BIS CARE App Guide

🧩 Hallmark ke chaar hisse

A BIS hallmark is not one stamp — it is a set of three marks that together identify the piece. First, the BIS triangle logo. Second, the purity code, expressed both as karat and as parts per thousand: 22K916, 18K750, 14K585. Third, the HUID — a six-character alphanumeric code that is unique to that individual article. The HUID is what links the piece to the BIS-registered jeweller and the hallmarking centre, so there is no separate jeweller's mark any more.

Hallmarking became mandatory for gold jewellery (14K, 18K, 22K and other standard grades) in June 2021, the three-mark HUID hallmark started on 1 July 2021, and from 1 April 2023 only HUID hallmarks are allowed on new pieces. Pieces hallmarked before July 2021 carry the old marks instead — BIS logo, purity, assaying centre mark and jeweller's mark — with no HUID. That old hallmark is still valid. For silver, HUID hallmarking started on 1 September 2025 but is still voluntary.

📍 Piece par ye marks kahan milte hain

On a ring, the marks usually sit on the inner band. On a chain or bangle, look near the clasp or the catch. On a necklace, check the back of the pendant or the hook — the marks are tiny and often need a magnifying glass under good light. The same details should also appear on the tag attached to the piece.

The HUID is laser-marked, not printed, and it is never repeated across two pieces — that is the whole point. If a seller insists the HUID is “the same for all our jewellery” or that they will “send it later”, that is not how the system works.

📱 BIS CARE app — step by step

The BIS CARE app is free on both Android and iOS, and verifying a HUID costs nothing.

Step 1. Install and open the app. Step 2. Tap Verify HUID. Step 3. Type the six characters exactly as engraved — letters are usually uppercase. Step 4. Read the result on screen and match it with the tag in your hand.

There is a second button worth knowing: Verify Hallmarking Licence. If a shop claims to be BIS-registered, that screen shows the licence details. And if something goes wrong, the same app lets you register a complaint instead of hunting for an email address.

🧐 Result ka matlab kya hota hai

A valid result shows the purity recorded for that HUID, the type of article (ring, chain, bangle), the jeweller's registration number, the hallmarking centre and the date it was hallmarked. Compare the purity with the tag and with what the bill will say — all three should agree.

A mismatch is the important case. If the tag says 22K916 but the app shows a different purity, the piece and the record do not belong together. Do not “adjust” the difference in your head and proceed — ask for a different piece.

🚩 Check fail ho jaye to kya karein

If the HUID does not exist in the app, stop the purchase. Ask the jeweller to show another piece whose HUID verifies, or politely walk away — a genuine BIS-registered shop will not find this request unusual.

If you have already bought the piece and later discover a problem, keep the GST bill and the tag, and use the complaint option in the BIS CARE app. Consumer complaints in India can also be filed on the national consumer helpline. The bill is your main evidence, which is why it matters more than the packaging.

✅ Hallmark ke alawa aur kya dekhein

Weight. Ask for the piece to be weighed in front of you and match it with the bill. Making charges. Get them in writing, separately from the metal value. Hallmarking fee. BIS charges a fixed amount per article for hallmarking; it is a small standard fee, not a percentage of your purchase, so a large “hallmarking charge” line deserves a question.

Also be careful with look-alikes. A piece with “916” engraved but no BIS logo and no HUID is not hallmarked, however confident the seller sounds. And a sticker or a printed card is not a hallmark — the mark is on the metal.

☑️ Final checklist

FAQ