What HUID means
HUID stands for Hallmark Unique Identification. It is a code of six letters and numbers, for example something like 7XK2PA, marked on one piece of jewellery and on no other. Because every code is different, BIS can trace each hallmarked piece back to the jeweller who sent it for hallmarking and the centre that tested it.
The HUID is not a price, a weight or a design number. It is a record number. The piece’s details sit with BIS against that code, and the customer can look them up.
HUID came in on 1 July 2021. Since then, every gold piece hallmarked has to carry one. From 1 April 2023, registered jewellers may sell hallmarked gold jewellery only with a HUID.
The three marks of a hallmark
Look at a hallmarked gold chain under a magnifying glass and you will find three marks. These are what BIS lists as mandatory:
| Mark | What it shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| BIS standard mark | The piece was tested and hallmarked under the BIS scheme | The BIS triangle logo |
| Purity | Karat and fineness, in parts per thousand | 22K916, 18K750, 14K585 |
| HUID | The six-character code for this one piece | Six letters and numbers |
Old hallmarks with four marks
Before HUID, a gold hallmark had four marks: the BIS logo, the purity, the jeweller’s logo and the logo of the assaying and hallmarking centre. Many families still own pieces like these.
BIS is clear that hallmarked jewellery already with consumers under the old system stays valid, and that a hallmark is valid for the life of the piece. A customer can also sell old jewellery, hallmarked or not, to a jeweller. What changed on 1 April 2023 is what a registered jeweller may sell: new sales of hallmarked gold must carry the HUID.
A jeweller may still put a shop mark on a piece alongside the three BIS marks. It just isn’t part of the hallmark.
How hallmarking works, step by step
- The jeweller registers with BIS. Registration is online, free and granted at once, and it stays valid for life.
- The jeweller sends pieces to a hallmarking centre. The registered jeweller submits the pieces to a BIS recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC), online or in writing. The duty falls on whoever makes the first sale in the chain, so a manufacturer or wholesaler often does it before the retailer gets the piece.
- The centre tests the purity. The centre tests the pieces and hallmarks them based on the purity it finds.
- The piece is laser-marked. It gets the BIS mark, its purity and a new HUID, and the details are recorded against that HUID.
- The jeweller sells it. The piece goes in stock, then on the counter, then on the customer’s bill.
Where hallmarking is mandatory
Mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery began on 23 June 2021 in 256 districts and has been extended in phases since. BIS’s hallmarking page lists amendments to the hallmarking order as recent as 3 August 2026, along with the phase-wise list of districts, so check that list for your own district rather than relying on an old count.
Some jewellers and pieces are outside the mandatory rules. BIS lists these among the exemptions, with conditions:
What is exempt
- Jewellers with an annual turnover of up to Rs 40 lakh. They can still register if they want to sell hallmarked jewellery.
- Articles weighing less than 2 grams, though they can be hallmarked if the jeweller wishes.
- Articles for export, Kundan, Polki and Jadau jewellery, gold thread, bullion and coins, and gold watches and fountain pens.
- Read the BIS list itself before relying on an exemption, since each comes with its own conditions.
Silver and HUID
Hallmarking is still voluntary for silver. But since 1 September 2025, any silver piece that is BIS hallmarked must carry a HUID. A silver hallmark shows the BIS standard mark, the word SILVER, the purity grade and the HUID. The grades are 800, 835, 925, 958, 970, 990 and 999.
A customer checks a silver HUID the same way as a gold one, in the BIS CARE app.
How a customer checks a HUID in BIS CARE
BIS CARE is the free app from the Bureau of Indian Standards, on Android and iPhone. It works in English, Hindi and ten other Indian languages. Checking a HUID takes a minute:
The steps
- Find the HUID on the piece (a magnifying glass helps) or on the bill.
- Open BIS CARE and choose Verify HUID.
- Type the six characters and submit.
- Read what comes back: the purity, the type of article (ring, chain, bangle and so on), the registered jeweller who got it hallmarked with their registration number, and the hallmarking centre that tested it.
- Match it to the piece in your hand. A chain should come back as a chain, at the purity stamped on it.
If something doesn’t match
If the app shows a different type of article, a different purity, or nothing at all, ask the jeweller first. A typo is common: 0 and O, or 1 and I, are easy to mix up.
A customer can also get a hallmarked piece tested at any BIS recognised hallmarking centre; BIS has given the testing charge as Rs 200. If hallmarked jewellery turns out to be below its marked purity, the BIS Rules, 2018 entitle the buyer to compensation of two times the difference for the shortfall, plus the testing charges. Complaints can be made in the BIS CARE app, on the BIS website or by email to complaints@bis.gov.in.
What a jewellery shop must do
BIS revised its guidelines for registered jewellers in July 2026. For a retail shop, they come down to what you show, what you sell and what you write on the bill.
Your shop’s checklist
- Outside the shop: the BIS logo with the words “Hallmarked Jewellery available for sale”.
- Inside the shop: your BIS certificate of registration, a chart of the hallmark marks, a magnifying glass of at least 10X, a weighing balance (preferably 0.01 g), BIS contact details for queries and complaints, your hallmarking charges, and the BIS CARE poster telling customers they can use Verify HUID.
- On the counter: sell hallmarked gold only with the HUID, in the grades of the Indian Standard. BIS gave the hallmarking charge as Rs 45 per gold article, excluding taxes, in October 2024; check the current figure with your centre.
- On the bill: each article described separately, the net weight of precious metal, the purity in carat and fineness, and the hallmarking charges. The July 2026 guidelines add a line telling the customer they can get the purity checked at any BIS recognised hallmarking centre. This applies to bills between jewellers too.
- On Manak Online: BIS now lets a jeweller update a HUID’s status, such as sold to a customer, sold to another jeweller, returned or melted, through its HUID Transfer module.
- When BIS visits: BIS officials or BIS hallmarking representatives can visit without notice, pick pieces at random, check their HUIDs against the type, weight, photographs, jeweller and centre on record, and draw samples. You have to co-operate.
Why the HUID belongs on your bill
The rules list what a bill for hallmarked jewellery must show. Printing the HUID on each line goes one step further, and it pays: the customer can match each piece to the bill, check it in BIS CARE at home, and come back to you with confidence. When a piece returns for exchange or repair, the HUID on your old bill tells you at once that it was yours.
To do that without retyping, the HUID has to be recorded when the piece comes into stock and travel with it to the bill. A HUID typed by hand at the counter is where mistakes creep in. Our stock with HUID guide covers how to record it, and the jewellery bill format guide shows a full bill.
How CaratOS handles HUID
- HUID on every hallmarked piece. Record it when the piece comes in, from Excel or by hand. It stays with the piece.
- Tags and search. Price tags print the tag number, purity, weight and HUID. Search stock by tag, name or HUID.
- HUID on every bill line. The HUID recorded in stock prints on each line of the GST bill, which you can share on WhatsApp, print or save as a PDF.
- Check a HUID with BIS from inside CaratOS, on the Growth plan (₹3,999 a month, GST included). Starter is ₹1,199 a month, GST included, and records and prints HUIDs too.
- CaratOS doesn’t update HUID status on Manak Online for you; that stays on the BIS portal. See stock, billing and pricing for more.
Talk to us
Book a demo and bring a few HUIDs from your stock. We will add the pieces, print their tags and make a bill with the HUID on each line in front of you. The 15-day Starter trial is on request and needs no card.
To check a karat’s fineness number, try the free gold purity converter.
Questions shop owners ask
What is HUID in gold?
HUID is the Hallmark Unique Identification: a six-character code of letters and numbers laser-marked on each hallmarked gold piece. It sits next to the BIS mark and the purity, such as 22K916, and no two pieces share one.
How do I check a HUID number?
Install the free BIS CARE app on Android or iPhone, choose Verify HUID and type the six characters. The app shows the purity, the type of article, the jeweller who got it hallmarked and the hallmarking centre.
Is my old jewellery without HUID still valid?
Yes. BIS says hallmarked jewellery already with consumers under the old four-mark system remains valid, and a hallmark lasts the life of the piece. You can also sell old jewellery, hallmarked or not, to a jeweller.
Is HUID compulsory on silver?
Silver hallmarking is voluntary. But since 1 September 2025, any silver piece that is BIS hallmarked must carry a HUID, along with the BIS mark, the word SILVER and the purity grade.
Do small jewellers need hallmarking?
BIS says jewellers with an annual turnover of up to Rs 40 lakh are outside mandatory hallmarking, and pieces under 2 grams are exempt, among other exemptions with conditions. Small jewellers can still register for free if they want to sell hallmarked jewellery.
Must the HUID be printed on the jewellery bill?
BIS lists the description, net weight, purity in carat and fineness and hallmarking charges as bill details, plus a line on testing at a BIS centre. The HUID is not among the items those guidelines list, but printing it on each line lets the customer match the piece to the bill. CaratOS prints it on every line.