Gold Hallmark Under-Purity Complaint to BIS - citizen guide 2026

If your hallmarked gold tests below the purity stamped on it, the registered jeweller must pay you two times the difference plus your testing charges, and you can force this by filing a free BIS complaint. Here is exactly how to verify the HUID, get the gold tested, and claim your money.

A BIS hallmark is the official stamp that certifies the purity of gold jewellery. It carries the BIS logo, the purity grade such as 22K916, and a unique 6 digit HUID, the Hallmark Unique Identification number. Each piece has its own HUID, linked to the jeweller and the assaying centre that tested it.

Hallmarking of gold jewellery is governed by the BIS Act, 2016 and the BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018, enforced by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), a body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

• Section 14 of the BIS Act, 2016 lets the government notify precious metals that must carry a hallmark, and Section 15 prohibits selling notified goods without the hallmark.
• Clause 49 of the BIS Rules, 2018 fixes the compensation: if a precious metal article does not conform to the standard, the buyer gets two times the amount of difference, calculated on the shortage of purity for the weight sold, plus the testing charges.
• Mandatory hallmarking rolled out in phases from 23 June 2021 and now covers 380 districts as of the sixth phase that came into force on 2 March 2026. It covers six caratages: 14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 23K and 24K.
• If BIS redressal stalls, you can also approach a consumer commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The District Commission hears claims up to ₹50 lakh.

You can read the parent law on the RTI Act, 2005 page, and use RTI to ask BIS about the status of your complaint.

1. Verify the HUID first. Download the free BIS CARE app on your phone. Enter the 6 digit HUID to confirm the piece is genuinely hallmarked and check the marked purity.
2. Get the gold tested. Take the piece to any BIS Recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre and ask for a purity test. This is done on a chargeable basis. Keep the test report and the receipt.
3. Confirm the shortfall. Compare the tested purity with the marked purity. If the tested value is lower, you have a valid under-purity claim.
4. File the BIS complaint. Lodge it online through the complaint portal on www.bis.gov.in, through the BIS CARE app, or by email to [email protected]. Attach the bill, the HUID, and the test report.
5. State your claim. Ask for compensation of two times the difference based on the purity shortage for the weight sold, plus your testing charges, under section 49 of the BIS Rules, 2018.
6. Track it. BIS records complaints centrally and runs a redressal procedure. Note your complaint number and follow up.
7. Escalate if needed. If BIS does not resolve it or the jeweller refuses, file before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

• Original purchase bill or tax invoice showing weight, purity and price
• The jewellery piece and its 6 digit HUID
• Purity test report from a BIS Recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre
• Receipt for the testing charges you paid
• Your name, address and contact details for the complaint
• Photographs of the hallmark stamp on the piece

• Buying without checking the HUID. Always enter the 6 digit HUID in BIS CARE before you pay, not after a dispute starts.
• Throwing away the bill. Without the invoice showing weight and marked purity, the shortfall cannot be calculated under section 49.
• Getting tested at a non-recognised lab. Only a BIS Recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre report carries weight for the claim.
• Accepting just a swap. The rule entitles you to twice the difference plus testing cost, not only a replacement piece.
• Assuming a 3 or 4 digit mark is valid. Mandatory hallmarking uses the 6 digit HUID. An old or short mark in a covered district is a red flag.

You can adapt this for the BIS portal, the BIS CARE app complaint box, or an email to [email protected].

To: [email protected]
Subject: Complaint - hallmarked gold below marked purity (HUID: ______)

Respected Sir/Madam,

I purchased a gold ____ on __/__/2026 from M/s ____________ (registered
jeweller), for Rs ______, weight ____ grams, marked 22K916. The piece
carries the 6 digit HUID ______.

On testing at a BIS Recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre, the purity
was found to be only ____K, below the marked purity. The test report and
the purchase bill are attached.

I request compensation under section 49 of the BIS Rules, 2018, that is two
times the amount of difference based on the shortage of purity for the
weight sold, plus the testing charges of Rs ____ that I paid.

Please register my complaint and share the complaint number.

Name: ____________
Address: ____________
Phone / Email: ____________

Enclosures: 1. Purchase bill  2. Test report  3. Photo of hallmark

To draft a parallel RTI to BIS asking for the status of your complaint, use the AI RTI Drafter.

Download the free BIS CARE app and enter the 6 digit HUID printed on the piece. The app shows whether the HUID is valid and the purity it was marked at.

Under section 49 of the BIS Rules, 2018, you get two times the amount of difference, calculated on the shortage of purity for the weight sold, plus the testing charges you paid.

You can file online on the BIS portal at www.bis.gov.in, through the BIS CARE app, or by email to [email protected]. Attach the bill, the HUID and the test report.

The registered jeweller who made the sale is liable to pay compensation for any shortage in purity, under the BIS Rules, 2018. BIS runs the complaint and enforcement process.

Take the piece to any BIS Recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre and ask for a purity test. It is done on a chargeable basis, and you should keep the report and the fee receipt.

Mandatory hallmarking applies in notified districts, rolled out in phases from 23 June 2021, covering 380 districts as of 2 March 2026. It covers 14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 23K and 24K gold.

You can approach the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which hears claims up to ₹50 lakh.

Current mandatory hallmarking uses a 6 digit HUID. A short or missing HUID on a piece sold in a covered district should be questioned before you buy.

• BIS, Consumer Protection, hallmarking: https://www.bis.gov.in/hallmarking-overview/consumer-protection/
• BIS, Mandatory hallmarking FAQs: https://www.bis.gov.in/hallmarking-overview/hallmarking-faqs/mandatory/
• PIB, Complaint against hallmarked jewellery on lesser purity and redressal by BIS, PRID 1781232: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1781232
• Consumer Protection Jurisdiction Rules, 2021, PIB PRID 1786342: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1786342

• AI RTI Drafter - draft an RTI to BIS in minutes
• How to file a consumer court case in India
• RTI Act, 2005 - the full text and your rights
• The RTI Playbook - the complete citizen handbook