Lifestyle

Buying gold in Chennai: hallmark, HUID and making charges

Check the BIS logo, purity mark and six-digit HUID on BIS Care before you pay, and ask for a full break-up of making charges.

18 October 2026

Chennai FalconMr. Parthasarathy aka Chennai Falcon is passionate about…

Before you pay for gold jewellery in Chennai this festive season, look for three tiny laser marks on the piece: the BIS logo, a purity grade such as 22K916, and a six-character alphanumeric code called the HUID. Since 1 April 2023, jewellers have not been allowed to sell hallmarked gold jewellery without a HUID, and you can check that code yourself on the free BIS Care app in about a minute, standing at the counter.

Price is the other half of the decision. Gold rates move every working day, and the number on a showroom board is only one part of the bill. As a reference point, 22-carat gold in Chennai was quoted at about ₹1,09,280 per sovereign (8 grams) on 6 October 2026. Treat that as a past figure, not a guide to what you will pay this week. This article is general consumer information, not financial advice.

How the rate on the board is arrived at

Retail gold prices in India follow the international bullion price, converted into rupees at the day’s exchange rate, with import duty and local demand on top. Chennai shops, from T. Nagar showrooms to family jewellers in George Town and Mylapore, display a per-gram board rate for 22-carat and 24-carat gold each morning. That rate is for raw metal, not the necklace you are holding.

Your final bill is built in layers:

Gold value: net weight of gold multiplied by the board rate for that purity.
Making charges or wastage: the jeweller’s fee for labour and design, often shown as a percentage of gold value or a fixed amount per gram.
Stones: charged separately, and their weight should not be billed at the gold rate.
GST: applied on the bill as per current rules; ask for it to be shown as a separate line.

Most jewellery is sold in 22 carat, marked 22K916, meaning 91.6 per cent pure gold. Coins and bars are commonly 24 carat. The Indian standard for hallmarking, IS 1417, covers six grades: 14, 18, 20, 22, 23 and 24 carat, according to the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Reading the hallmark and checking the HUID

Hallmarks applied after 1 July 2021 carry three marks: the BIS logo, the purity and the HUID. Older jewellery had four marks, including the jeweller’s logo and the assaying centre’s mark. The Department of Consumer Affairs has made clear that hallmarked jewellery bought under the older system remains valid, so there is no need to get family pieces re-marked.

Each HUID is generated by the BIS server for one specific article and laser-marked by a BIS-recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC). To verify it:

Install the BIS Care app from the Play Store or App Store.
Open the Verify HUID option and type the six characters exactly as marked. A jeweller’s loupe or your phone camera’s zoom helps.
Compare what the app shows with the item and the bill: the jeweller’s name and BIS registration number, the purity, the type of article and the AHC that tested it.
If the article type or purity does not match, do not buy, and keep a photo of the mark.

Jewellers must register with BIS to sell hallmarked jewellery. The BIS blog lists the hallmarking charge at ₹45 per piece, irrespective of weight, which the jeweller pays to the AHC. A large hallmarking fee added to your bill deserves a question.

Making charges: where bills really differ

Two shops with the same board rate can produce very different totals because of making charges. Machine-made chains and plain bangles usually attract lower charges. Handmade, antique-finish and temple jewellery, popular for weddings and Deepavali gifting, usually cost more to make. Some Chennai shops call this “wastage” or “value addition”; it is the same idea.

Ask for the all-in price per gram of the specific piece, so you can compare shops on the same basis.
Check net and gross weight on the shop’s scale, especially for pieces with stones, enamel or wax.
Read “zero making charge” offers carefully and compare the board rate used on that bill with other shops.
If you are exchanging old gold, ask in advance how purity will be tested and what deductions apply.
Insist on a proper bill showing HUID, purity, net weight, rate, making charges, stone charges and tax.

If the purity turns out lower

A hallmark is a legal promise. If a piece is later found to be below the marked purity, the buyer can claim compensation under Section 49 of the BIS Rules, 2018: twice the value of the purity shortfall for the article’s weight, plus testing charges, as summarised by the Department of Consumer Affairs. You can also have jewellery tested at a BIS-recognised AHC. Over 1,300 such centres were operating nationally when BIS last published the figure on its blog, and an IMPRI policy summary reports 380 districts under mandatory hallmarking after a sixth phase in March 2026.

For a dispute with a shop over billing or refusal to honour terms, the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 is the first stop before a consumer commission.

Quick answers

Is a HUID compulsory on new gold jewellery?

Yes. Sale of hallmarked gold jewellery without a six-digit HUID has been prohibited since 1 April 2023.

Where can I find the day’s gold rate?

Shops display it each day. Rates change daily, so check on the day you buy and compare two or three jewellers.

Do I need to re-hallmark old jewellery?

No. Jewellery hallmarked under the older four-mark system remains valid.

How do I check a HUID?

Use Verify HUID in the BIS Care app and match the details with the piece and the bill.

Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.