Gold Real or Fake? 5 Simple Ways to Check Before Buying

Manish (name changed) lives in Khurja. One day, he went to a finance company to take a gold loan. He had 20 grams of gold jewelry from a local shop. The company checked his gold and said no. They said the gold was 14 carats. The company gives loans only for gold of 16 carats or more. Manish was surprised because he paid the shopkeeper for 16-carat gold.

This can happen to anyone. When you buy gold, check if it is really the carat you are paying for. Also, check if the gold is pure. A small mistake can give big problems, like it did for Manish.

5 Tips to Check Gold Before Buying

When you buy gold, always check its purity. Also, check the bills and other important things. Sometimes, a shopkeeper may give gold of lower carat and say it is 22-carat or 18-carat. Keep these 5 things in mind while buying gold:

1. BIS Standard Mark

Look for the BIS standard mark on gold jewelry. The BIS logo is a triangle and shows that the gold purity is checked at a BIS-certified center. If the gold has this mark, it is genuine and of good quality.

2. Hallmark on Gold

Gold jewelry has a hallmark that shows its purity. Always check it before buying. If there is no hallmark, do not buy the gold. Hallmark tells how pure the gold is. Higher carats mean purer gold and higher price. Carat is shown with the letter K.

3. HUID Code

Check the HUID code on the jewelry. HUID is a Hallmark Unique Identification number with letters (A-Z) and numbers (1-9), like A123BC. Each jewelry has a different HUID. You can verify it using the ‘Verify HUID’ feature on the BIS Care App. This confirms the gold is real.

4. Confirm the Bill

Always get a proper bill from the shopkeeper. Even if the jewelry has BIS mark, hallmark, and HUID code, a bill is important. Some local shops may use fake marks. The bill also has the GST number, which you can check on the official GST website.

5. Purity Testing Machine

After all checks, test the gold using a purity testing machine (caratometer). Many good shops have these machines. You can also test gold from local shops to check if it is real.