Gold jewellery gets costlier this Diwali: Hallmarking charges jump 67% — what buyers must know

Buying gold jewellery this Diwali could become marginally more expensive after the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) increased hallmarking charges by nearly 67%. The revised rates, effective September 14, 2026, come ahead of the festive and wedding seasons, when gold purchases traditionally rise.

Under the BIS (Hallmarking) Amendment Regulations, 2026, jewellers must now pay ₹75 per gold article to recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs), compared with ₹45 earlier, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday.

The increase works out to:

(₹75 − ₹45) ÷ ₹45 × 100 = 66.67%

A minimum fee of ₹200 per consignment applies. Additionally, BIS charges hallmarking centres ₹7.50 per gold article, subject to a minimum of ₹20 per consignment.

How will the increase affect jewellery bills?

Although the percentage increase appears steep, the additional cost is ₹30 per article. If a jeweller passes on the entire increase, purchasing five ornaments could cost ₹150 more.

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Consider an illustrative purchase of a 10-gram, 22-carat gold ornament.

Assumptions:

24K gold rate: ₹12,000 per gram

Gold purity: 91.6%

Making charges: 10%

GST: 3%

Hallmarking fee: ₹75

Gold value: 10 × ₹12,000 × 0.916 = ₹1,09,920

Making charges: ₹1,09,920 × 10% = ₹10,992

GST: (₹1,09,920 + ₹10,992) × 3% = ₹3,627.36

Final bill: ₹1,09,920 + ₹10,992 + ₹3,627.36 + ₹75 = ₹1,24,614.36

With the earlier ₹45 hallmarking fee, the comparable bill would have been ₹1,24,584.36.

The calculation assumes the hallmarking fee is added separately after GST. Actual billing and tax treatment may differ.

What is gold hallmarking, and why is it important?

Gold hallmarking is a certification process that verifies the purity of jewellery and other gold articles. In India, where gold carries cultural, social and financial significance, hallmarking promotes transparency and protects consumers against adulteration and misrepresentation.

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BIS regulates the hallmarking framework under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Mandatory hallmarking was introduced in phases beginning June 2021 to standardise purity certification.

Authorised centres test gold using methods including fire assay and X-ray fluorescence before certifying eligible articles.

Hallmarking helps consumers establish whether jewellery contains the promised gold content. For instance, 22K gold contains approximately 91.6% gold, while 18K contains 75%.

It also supports fair pricing, improves resale confidence and helps jewellers demonstrate compliance with quality standards.

How can consumers verify hallmarked gold?

A BIS hallmark currently contains three identifiers: the BIS logo, purity expressed through caratage and fineness, and a six-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number.

Consumers can verify the HUID using the BIS Care application.

Buyers should request itemised invoices specifying purity, net gold weight, making charges, GST and hallmarking fees.

Meanwhile, silver hallmarking charges remain unchanged at ₹35 per article.

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