Gold Hallmark Verification Guide: How to Spot Real BIS Hallmark Marks Before Selling

Why You Should Always Verify a Hallmark Before Selling

Doing a Bis hallmark check before you walk into any gold buyer is the single most powerful step you can take to protect your money. A real BIS-hallmarked piece sells at full live IBJA rate within minutes; a fake hallmark sells at a lower XRF-tested rate, and a piece you assumed was 22K but turns out to be 18K is a four-figure loss before you have even started negotiating. The good news is verification is free, takes about 30 seconds on your phone, and leaves you with a screenshot you can show the buyer.

• Must Know: Gold Rate Prediction for the Next 5 Years in India

This guide is a step-by-step walkthrough of every method you can use – the official BIS Care app HUID lookup, visual identification of the four mandatory marks, common counterfeit patterns to watch for, and the XRF backup test that confirms the actual gold content of any piece, hallmarked or not. By the end, you will be able to confidently perform gold hallmark verification for any chain, bangle, ring, or coin in your jewellery box.

BIS Hallmark Verification – At a Glance

Official Tool	BIS Care app (Android & iOS, free)
Lookup Method	HUID (6-character alphanumeric code)
Marks to Check	Triangle logo + Purity grade + HUID + Jeweller code
Verification Cost	Free (no fee should ever be charged)
Time Required	~30 seconds per piece
Backup Method	In-presence XRF test at any reputed buyer
Today’s 24K Reference Rate	₹14,962 per gram (5 May 2026, IBJA)
When to Verify	Before any sale, exchange or insurance valuation

Step 1: Find the Four BIS Hallmark Marks on Your Jewellery

Pick up the piece in good light and look at the inside surface – the bis hallmark check starts visually. Genuine BIS-hallmarked jewellery sold in India after 1 July 2021 carries exactly four marks, all stamped close together. They are tiny but clearly etched.

•       BIS triangle – the official logo confirming the piece passed at a licensed Assaying and Hallmarking Centre.
•       Purity grade – three numbers like 916 (22K), 750 (18K), 585 (14K) or 999 (24K).
•       HUID – six alphanumeric characters that uniquely identify the piece (this is the key for app verification).
•       Jeweller / AHC code – earlier this was a separate stamp; today it is encoded in the HUID database.

If any one of these is missing, the piece is either pre-2021 (which is normal for inherited gold) or unhallmarked. A missing mark on a piece purchased after 2021 is a genuine red flag – verify with XRF before selling. A piece that is supposedly 22K but stamped only “916” without a triangle or HUID was probably hallmarked under the older voluntary system; it is sellable but needs XRF confirmation.

• Also Read: Live Gold Price Today

Step 2: Use the BIS Care App to Verify the HUID

The BIS Care app (sometimes called BIS Care App or just BIS Care) is the official Government of India tool for hallmark verification. Free to download from Google Play and the Apple App Store, it lets anyone with a smartphone confirm a HUID against the central BIS database in seconds. The BIS care app is the only legally recognised verification mechanism – no third-party website, jeweller scanner, or “BIS verifier” QR code is officially valid.

Once installed, follow this exact sequence:

1.     Open the BIS Care app and tap “Verify HUID under Hallmarking”.
2.     Enter the six-character HUID printed on your jewellery (it is alphanumeric, e.g. AZ4XX9).
3.     Tap “Check” – the app pings the BIS database and returns the registered jeweller name, AHC where the piece was tested, hallmarking date and declared purity.
4.     Take a screenshot. Match the returned details against the marks on your jewellery – purity grade should align with the database entry.
5.     If the app says “HUID not found”, the hallmark is either fake or counterfeited. Take the piece for an XRF test to confirm actual purity before selling.

Today’s Rate by Verified Purity

Once verification confirms the purity grade, the rate the buyer applies is straightforward – today’s 24K IBJA rate × your tested fineness. The widget below shows the current per-gram rates by purity, so you can confirm what your hallmark gold is worth before walking into any buyer.

Step 3: Spot Common Hallmark Counterfeits

Hallmark fraud almost always shows specific patterns. A how to verify gold hallmark routine should include checking for these signs of counterfeiting:

•       Triangle logo with no HUID number – pre-2021 four-mark hallmarks were retired in 2023; any new piece without HUID is suspicious.
•       HUID with wrong format – genuine HUIDs are exactly six characters, mixed letters and numbers; longer or shorter strings are fake.
•       “BIS” written in plain text instead of the registered triangle logo – only the official triangle is valid.
•       HUID that returns “not found” on the BIS Care app – either counterfeited or not actually hallmarked.
•       Marks that look stamped twice or unevenly – genuine hallmarks are applied once with precision laser etching.
•       Mismatched marks – for example, “916” purity grade with a HUID that the app shows as 18K in the database.

A bis hallmark genuine check piece will pass every one of these tests. If two or more flags appear, treat the piece as unhallmarked and insist on XRF testing before sale.

Step 4: Cross-Check with an XRF Test

XRF (X-ray fluorescence) testing is the most reliable backup verification method. The machine fires low-energy X-rays at the surface of your jewellery; the gold atoms emit a characteristic signal that the spectrometer reads to calculate the exact composition. The piece is not melted, scratched, or damaged in any way – XRF is non-destructive and reads in 15–30 seconds. Reputable buyers display the test in your presence and print the result on the receipt.

Three reasons a huid verification alone is not always enough: first, XRF tells you the actual purity, which can differ slightly from the declared hallmark on legacy pieces; second, XRF confirms the piece is solid gold throughout, not gold-plated over a base metal; third, XRF detects solder joints, alloy variations and stones that affect deductions. Use the BIS Care app for HUID verification, then ask for an XRF test as the final confirmation. Together, they cover both the certificate and the physical reality.

Pre-2021 Old Gold: How to Handle Verification

Most Indian household gold pre-dates 2021 and has either no hallmark at all or the older voluntary BIS mark with no HUID. This is fully legal, fully sellable, and fully eligible for live IBJA pricing once tested. The verification path simply skips the BIS Care app step:

•     Bring the piece to a buyer with a calibrated XRF machine (insist on seeing the calibration certificate).
•     Watch the test happen on the spectrometer screen – the buyer should turn it toward you.
•     Confirm the printed reading matches the on-screen percentage (e.g. 91.5% for nominal 22K).
•     Apply today’s live 24K rate × measured purity to compute the per-gram price.

A buyer who refuses to show the test, or quotes a flat percentage of 24K rate without measurement, is not following standard practice. Walk to the next branch.

Common Mistakes During Hallmark Verification

•       Trusting QR codes printed on jeweller invoices – only the BIS Care app HUID lookup is officially recognised.
•       Accepting a “verification fee” charged by a jeweller – the BIS Care app is free and no fee can be deducted from your sale.
•       Skipping the cross-check between hallmark purity grade and XRF reading – a small mismatch is normal, but a 3%+ gap suggests under-purity at manufacture.
•       Believing “no hallmark = no value” – pre-2021 gold sells at full XRF-tested rate.
•       Verifying only one piece in a multi-piece sale – every item should be checked individually because purity often varies across pieces in inherited sets.

Why Choose Attica Gold for Verified Selling

The right way to sell hallmarked gold is to verify before you negotiate, not after the offer is made. Once you have done the bis care app check and confirmed the HUID, all that remains is a buyer who will apply today’s live rate to your verified purity without deductions for “verification” or “testing fees”. The wrong buyers exploit confusion; the right buyers help you confirm before they value.

Attica Gold runs the same verification protocol at every one of its 200+ branches across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Pondicherry – HUID lookup on the BIS Care app for hallmarked pieces, in-presence XRF testing for everything else, today’s live IBJA rate displayed openly on the wall, and a written line-by-line quote before you decide. ISO 9001:2015 certification means the same standard at every branch, every day. If you have been holding back because you were not sure how to verify your gold, your wait is over. Walk in, watch the test, take the cash.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I do a BIS hallmark check on my gold jewellery?

Download the free BIS Care app from Google Play or the App Store. Open the app, tap “Verify HUID under Hallmarking”, enter the six-character HUID printed on your jewellery, and tap Check. The app returns the registered jeweller, AHC, where the piece was tested, the hallmarking date and declared purity. The whole bis hallmark check takes about 30 seconds and is the only officially recognised verification method.

What is the BIS Care app, and is it official?

The BIS Caree app is the official Government of India consumer-protection app for verifying BIS-certified products, including hallmarked gold. Released by the Bureau of Indian Standards in 2017, it is free to download for Android and iOS. Any HUID lookup performed on this app pings the central BIS database in real time, making it the only legally valid way to confirm a hallmark’s authenticity.

What if my HUID returns “not found” on the BIS Care app?

A “not found” result on huid verification means the code is either fake, mistyped, or refers to a piece never actually hallmarked. Re-enter the code carefully (mistyping is common with similar characters like O/0 and I/1). If it still fails, take the piece to a reputable buyer for an XRF test, which confirms the actual gold content irrespective of the hallmark mark.

Can old gold without a hallmark still be verified?

Yes. Old gold without a hallmark cannot be checked through the BIS Care app, but it can be verified through XRF (X-ray fluorescence) testing in your presence. This non-destructive method measures the exact gold content of the piece in 15–30 seconds and is the standard verification route for all pre-2021 jewellery. Reputable buyers offer this test free of charge.

What are the four BIS hallmark marks I should look for?

The four marks are: (1) the BIS triangle logo, (2) the purity grade in three digits – 916 for 22K, 750 for 18K, 585 for 14K, or 999 for 24K, (3) the HUID six-character alphanumeric code, and (4) the jeweller / AHC code. All four must appear together on jewellery sold in India after 1 July 2021. A piece with only the triangle and no HUID was hallmarked under the older voluntary system.

Is Hallmark verification really free?

Yes – the BIS Care app is free to download and use, and HUID lookup costs nothing. Reputable buyers also offer XRF testing free of charge. If a jeweller or buyer tries to deduct a “hallmark verification fee” from your sale price, it is not legitimate. Walk to a different buyer.

How is gold hallmark verification different from purity testing?

Gold hallmark verification confirms that the BIS certification on your jewellery is genuine – that the HUID exists in the database and matches the marks on the piece. Purity testing (via XRF) measures the actual gold content of the metal itself. They complement each other: verification confirms the certificate, testing confirms the physical reality. Use both for the most accurate sale.

Should I verify each piece separately if I am selling multiple items?

Yes. Each hallmarked piece has its own unique HUID and should be checked individually on the BIS Care app. In sets of inherited jewellery, purity often varies across pieces – a chain might be 22K while a matching pendant might be 18K. Verifying piece by piece prevents averaging mistakes and ensures the buyer applies the correct rate to each item.