Hallmarking stopped being optional for most gold jewellers in June 2021. Five years and six phases later, the rules are settled enough to describe plainly — and the one thing that trips shops up is not the hallmark itself, it is keeping the HUID tied to the right piece from purchase to bill.
Where hallmarking is mandatory
Mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts started on 23 June 2021 in 256 districts. It has been extended in phases since; the sixth phase, from 2 March 2026, brought the total to 380 districts. In a notified district a registered jeweller may only sell hallmarked gold jewellery in the covered caratages, and must be registered with BIS.
Your district is on the list or it is not — check the latest order rather than relying on a neighbour. Most of Tamil Nadu's jewellery districts have been covered since the early phases.
What the hallmark contains
- The BIS standard mark.
- Purity in carat and fineness — for example 22K916, 18K750, 14K585.
- A six-character alphanumeric HUID, unique to that one piece.
Since April 2023 only the six-digit HUID hallmark has been valid for sale. The HUID is the piece's identity: a customer can check it in the BIS CARE app and see the purity and the hallmarking centre.
Silver
Silver hallmarking is still voluntary. But if you do hallmark silver, a six-digit HUID has been mandatory on hallmarked silver articles since 1 September 2025. BIS has said publicly that mandatory silver hallmarking is being prepared and will be phased in; as of this update no order making it compulsory has been notified. Watch for it if you sell 925 and fine silver.
The record-keeping problem
The hallmark is applied at the assaying centre. Everything after that — receiving the lot back, tagging each piece, selling it, taking it back on return or exchange — is the shop's job. A register in a notebook works until two similar chains get swapped on the tray.
- Capture the HUID against each tagged item when stock comes back from the hallmarking centre.
- Print it on the tag, so the counter can match piece to record without hunting.
- Print it on the bill line, so the customer's invoice names the exact piece they bought.
- Keep an HUID register you can pull for any date range when BIS or a customer asks.
How Auromine handles it
Auromine MPOS Jewelry Software stores the HUID on each item, prints it on the barcode tag and on the bill, and includes an HUID register in its reports — with stone and net weight columns. It runs on a phone or a computer, offline as well as online. Pearl is free forever for one counter — 30 bills a month and 200 items, no tag printing; paid plans start at ₹2,999 a year.
Checked November 2026. Hallmarking orders change; confirm your district and current requirements on the BIS website or with your assaying centre.