Gold jewellery buyers may face an additional cost during the upcoming festive season as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has increased the hallmarking fee for gold articles by 67%. The charge has risen from Rs 45 to Rs 75 per article, with a new minimum fee of Rs 200 per consignment. The revised rates came into effect on September 14, 2026.
What Has Changed? New Rs 200 Minimum Charge Introduced
Under the amended BIS Hallmarking Regulations, 2026, jewellers submitting gold articles to recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres will pay Rs 75 per article. However, a minimum charge of Rs 200 applies to each consignment. This means buyers purchasing or getting only one or two gold articles hallmarked could effectively face a higher per-item cost because of the minimum consignment charge. For example, three articles would attract Rs 225 under the per-article rate, while one or two articles would be subject to the ₹200 minimum.
Will Buyers Have to Pay More?
Hallmarking is an important safeguard for jewellery buyers because it certifies the purity of precious-metal articles. Consumers can check the BIS logo, purity or fineness marking and the six-digit Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) code on gold jewellery. Industry representatives have raised concerns that the higher charges could disproportionately affect lightweight and lower-value jewellery, where a fixed per-article cost represents a larger share of the purchase value.
Festive Season Impact
The fee revision comes just as demand for gold jewellery typically rises around the festive season. While the hallmarking charge itself is relatively small compared with the overall price of gold, jewellers may factor higher operational costs into pricing. Meanwhile, the separate UPI policy announced this month concerns merchant payments above ₹2,000 and is scheduled to take effect from October 15. The 0.4% MDR is charged to merchants, not consumers. For buyers, the key takeaway is simple: check the hallmark, verify the HUID and ask for a clear breakup of jewellery costs before making a festive purchase.
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Shamshad Ali is a New Delhi–based journalist with over six years of experience spanning breaking news writing, on-the-ground reporting, and editing. When he isn’t chasing headlines, Shamshad is usually exploring new destinations, discovering hidden culinary gems, and striking up conversations with strangers. Many of whom turn out to be great sources, and even better friends. He can be reached at shamshadali.dar@gmail.com.
