Kolkata: If you’re planning to buy gold jewelry for Dhanteras and Diwali, here’s important news for you. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has increased
the hallmarking fee for gold to ₹75 per article. Previously, this fee was ₹45. However, there are some gold items that are not required to be hallmarked. This means you won’t have to pay the ₹75 hallmarking fee for these items. The BIS revised the hallmarking fees for gold and silver in September 2026. The new rules came into effect on September 14, 2026. Under this, the hallmarking fee for each gold article has been increased from ₹45 to ₹75.
Jewellers have to pay this
Jewellers will now have to pay ₹75 per gold article to the hallmarking center. A minimum fee of ₹200 per consignment is also applicable. The hallmarking fee for silver has been set at ₹35 per article.
Hallmarking fees not on these gold items
According to BIS regulations, certain gold items are exempt from mandatory hallmarking. These include:
Gold articles weighing less than 2 grams: Mandatory hallmarking is not applicable on these.
Kundan, Polki and Jadau jewellery: These traditional jewellery items have also been exempted.
Gold watches and fountain pens: Mandatory hallmarking is not applicable on these.
Gold coins and bullion: Bars, plates, sheets, rods, wire and coins are included in this exemption.
Jewellery ready for export: Jewellery manufactured as per the conditions set by the foreign buyer is exempted.
Medical and industrial uses: Gold articles for scientific, dental and industrial uses are also included.
Earrings and necklaces
Many gold jewelry items consist of two or more pieces, such as earrings, necklaces, and other designs. According to BIS regulations, each individual piece of such jewelry, and each article in a pair, must have a separate HUID. If the earrings’ screws are made of gold and weigh less than 2 grams, they don’t require mandatory hallmarking. However, the main earring must be hallmarked as per the regulations.
What to do while buying gold jewellery?
When purchasing gold jewelry on Dhanteras, be sure to check not only the price but also its purity. Hallmarked jewelry bears the BIS logo, the purity of the gold, and a six-digit HUID number. When purchasing, be sure to ask the shopkeeper for a bill and check the gold’s weight, purity, making charges, and hallmarking fees. This will help avoid any problems later.
