How to Read the Hallmark & Karat Marks on Your Gold Before Selling

Before you take your gold to a buyer, it helps enormously to know what you are actually holding. Almost every piece of jewellery carries tiny stamps that reveal its purity — and a few that warn you it is barely gold at all. Learning to read these marks at home means you walk in already knowing roughly what your gold is worth. Here is how to decode them.

Where to Find the Marks

The stamps are small, so use a magnifying glass or a jeweller's loupe under good light. Look in these spots:

• Rings: the inside of the band
• Chains and necklaces: on or near the clasp
• Bangles and bracelets: inner surface or near the closure
• Earrings: the post or the back

The Purity Numbers, Decoded

Indian gold is usually marked with a three-digit number that tells you the purity in parts per thousand. Here is what each common mark means:

Most traditional Indian jewellery is stamped 916 — that is 22K, the standard for necklaces, bangles, and everyday ornaments. Diamond and stone-set pieces are often 750 (18K) because the lower purity is more durable.

The BIS Hallmark and HUID

Since hallmarking became mandatory, genuine pieces carry the BIS logo (a triangle), the purity number, and a HUID — a six-character Hallmark Unique Identification code unique to that item. Together these confirm the piece was independently certified for purity.

Older jewellery may instead show KDM markings from before the current BIS system. KDM gold is still valued on its actual tested purity when you sell — the older stamp does not reduce its worth, but it will be tested to confirm the real figure.

The Stamps That Mean It Is NOT Solid Gold

This is the most important part for a seller. Some marks look like gold stamps but actually warn you the piece is only coated. If you see any of these letters, the item is not solid gold:

• GP — Gold Plated (a thin gold layer over base metal)
• GF — Gold Filled
• HGE — Heavy Gold Electroplate
• RGP — Rolled Gold Plate
• EPNS — Electroplated Nickel Silver (no gold value)

A stamp like "22K GP" means 22K gold plating — not 22K solid gold. These pieces carry only a tiny amount of gold and are worth very little by weight.

The Stamp Is a Guide — Testing Confirms It

Marks are a reliable starting point, but they are not the final word. Stamps wear away over decades, some antique pieces were never marked, and occasionally a stamp is inaccurate. That is why a trustworthy buyer confirms purity with proper testing — ideally XRF — done openly in front of you. The stamp tells you what to expect; the test confirms what you are paid.

The Bottom Line

Spend two minutes with a loupe before you sell. Find the purity number, rule out any plating stamps, and note the BIS mark or HUID if present. You will walk into the shop already knowing whether you hold 22K, 18K, or something coated — and that knowledge is your best protection against a lowball offer.