Gold hallmarking charge jumps 67% ahead of festive season

Gold jewellery buyers face an important change as hallmarking charges for jewellery have been increased by as much as 66.7 percent during the festive season. The new rates came into effect across the country from September 14, 2026, and will directly affect the jewellery market and, in turn, customers' pockets. The hike, announced just as festivals like Diwali approach, has sparked discussion in the jewellery trade.

Under the new rates, hallmarking a gold jewellery item or other article, which earlier cost Rs 45, will now cost Rs 75, a rise of Rs 30 per article. The minimum charge for a gold consignment remains unchanged at Rs 200. The hallmarking charge for silver jewellery has also not changed and will continue at Rs 35 per article.

Under the rules of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), hallmarking charges are not based on the weight of the jewellery but are levied per article, that is, per piece. So whether an item of jewellery is small or large, a fixed charge has to be paid for each piece. This increase will significantly raise the overall hallmarking cost for jewellers. For instance, if a jeweller has to get 100 pieces of jewellery hallmarked, the cost earlier was Rs 4,500, which will now rise to Rs 7,500, an additional burden of Rs 3,000 for hallmarking 100 pieces.

This hike mainly increases jewellers' testing and certification costs. However, whether this additional burden is passed on directly to customers or absorbed by the jeweller depends entirely on the individual shop's decision. So every customer's bill will not necessarily go up by Rs 30 directly, as this decision may vary from shop to shop.

Even so, buying hallmarked jewellery is considered necessary to check the purity of gold and avoid fraud. Buyers are advised to check the BIS logo, the karat marking and the six-digit HUID code on jewellery before purchasing.