When you buy gold jewellery, the only way to be sure of the purity of gold is by looking at the hallmark. The deadline for jewellers to get the coveted BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) hallmarking is extended till June 1, 2021. Earlier the government has proposed January 15, 2021, as the final deadline and now jewellers get more than 4 months of extension. Around 28,849 jewellers have registered with the authority till today.
The purpose of the BIS hallmarking is to ensure that the gold consumers get is pure. There are several components to hallmarking of Indian gold jewellery. It starts with the BIS logo. Gold jewellers also have a logo of their own that will be stamped along with the logo of the assaying centre. Under the hallmarking, the caratage is also marked on jewellery for easy reference. For instance:
- 22-carat jewellery – 22K and 916
- 18-carat jewellery – 18K and 750
- 14-carat jewellery – 14K and 585
The hallmark on the Barfee Gold Chain and the 22 Kt Two-Tone Penta Figaro Chain may look different. 22kt gold as seen in the Zobhita Nivara Gold Sui Dhaga is typically used for designs that feature only gold. If the design features precious or semi-precious stones, it is usually crafted from 18kt gold. For example, The Kamini Sui Dhaaga Earrings and The Aeolia Ear Cuffs.
22kt vs 916 gold
24-carat gold is the purest form of gold. Jewellery is rarely crafted from this type of gold as it is very soft. To give the metal stability, it is alloyed with other metals. 22kt gold is typically the purest form of gold used for Indian gold jewellery. To understand the percentage of metals in the alloy, let’s take 100grams of 22kt gold. 91.6 grams of this alloy would be gold while the remaining 8.4 grams would be another metal. For this reason, 22kt gold is also symbolized as 916 gold.
Similarly, the 18-carat gold used in the Unnati Twister Bangle may be represented as 750 gold. Some of the latest design of gold earrings like the Fenced Axis Earrings and the Sovann Stud Earrings made from 14kt gold may be hallmarked with 585 gold. Simply put, 22K916 corresponds to 22kt gold while 18K750 corresponds to 18kt gold. 14 kt gold may be represented as 14K585.
Why Is It Important To Buy Hallmarked Gold?
Today, almost all gold necklace designs, gold bangles designs from reputable jewellers bear the BIS hallmark. Designs from these jewellers can be seen on our gold jewellery design finder. But local jewellers may still sell their gold jewellery designs without a hallmark. The price difference in terms of gold is negligible. If there is a difference in the overall price, it is most probably due to the making charges levied by jewellers. There is also a small hallmarking charge that jewellers may pass on to customers. Don’t let this dissuade you from buying hallmarked gold jewellery designs. A gold necklace design like the Parushi Chandraharam Kyra Gold Necklace that has been hallmarked will have better resale value if you ever feel the need to exchange it for something else in the future.
Identifying Genuine Hallmarks
Fraudsters will always find a way around rules and regulations and hence, some gold jewellers sell bangles, necklaces and earrings with fake hallmarks. Always opt for reputed gold jewellery, make sure BIS Hallmark Certificate is clearly displayed in the showroom. Check for the hallmark on the jewellery item like the one shown below.
Finaura only lists BIS Hallmark registered, reputed gold jewellers. So, when you look at gold bangles designs or want to add the latest design of gold earrings to your collection, shop from a jeweller who has been registered with the BIS and is listed on the Finaura gold jewellery design finder.
Finaura is a gold jewellery design finder that helps you to find the best gold jewellery designs from the most trusted Indian gold jewellers. You can download the Finaura App from Google Playstore.
If you have any queries please feel free to contact us. Call us on +91 484 2388285 or email us at finaura@finahub.com
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