Gold hallmarking has teeth — mandatory certification, unique IDs and penalties for violations. Silver's framework, introduced far more recently, still runs on a voluntary basis.
| Aspect | Gold | Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Hallmarking Requirement | Mandatory Compulsory across 380 districts nationwide |
Voluntary No compulsion anywhere in India as yet |
| HUID Requirement | Mandatory on every piece of hallmarked gold jewellery, wherever hallmarking applies |
Kicks in only if a silver item is hallmarked in the first place |
| Effective From | HUID rolled out June 2021; hallmarking coverage widened in stages since |
September 2025, under standard IS 2112:2025 |
| Purity Standards | 9K, 14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 23K, 24K |
800, 835, 925, 958, 970, 990, 999 |
| Recognised Testing Centres | 900+ Assaying & Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) |
230+ AHCs |
| Penalty for Non-Compliance | Enforced Fine up to 5x the item's value, or imprisonment up to one year, in mandatory zones |
None yet No penalty currently — hallmarking remains voluntary |