Gold Hallmarking Fees Hikes: The festive shopping season is set to kick off across the country. In preparation, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has updated the hallmarking fees for gold and silver jewelry. These updated regulations took effect following a notification released on September 14, 2026.
Hallmarking serves as the main way to verify the purity of precious metal jewelry. It shows the caratage of the piece, like 22 carats or 24 carats. Hallmarking also confirms that the jewelry complies with BIS standards.
Gold hallmarking fee now stands at Rs 75
The BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2026 have been updated. When jewelers submit gold jewelry to approved Assaying and Hallmarking Centers (AHCs), they’ll need to pay a hallmarking fee of Rs 75 per item. The old fee was Rs 45, marking a 66.67% jump.
There’s a minimum fee of Rs 200 per consignment. This means that regardless of how many pieces you’re submitting, you’ll pay at least Rs 200. Silver jewelry carries a fee of Rs 35 per piece, with a minimum consignment fee of Rs 150.
AHC fees to BIS are now set
The updated rules also outline what AHCs pay to BIS. Gold jewelry incurs a fee of Rs 7.50 per piece, with a Rs 20 minimum per consignment. Silver jewelry costs Rs 3.50 per item, with a Rs 15 minimum per consignment. Taxes will be added on top of these amounts.
Lighter jewelry faces bigger challenges
Nitin Kedia, National General Secretary of AIJGF, explained that the fee increase will hit lighter jewelry harder. Here’s why: whether you’re hallmarking a half-gram or five-gram piece, you’ll pay Rs 75 either way. So the fee’s impact on lighter jewelry prices is much steeper.
According to Kedia, this also raises expenses for low-profit jewelry. Smaller jewelers could feel this pinch more acutely. They might find it tougher to keep up with bigger, well-established competitors.
Why is change important before the festive season?
The change in hallmarking fees comes at a time when the jewelry industry is gearing up for festive shopping. September is typically considered the pre-festive shopping month. This is followed by Navratri and Dussehra. Then comes Diwali, followed by the wedding season.
Therefore, the new hallmarking fees could become an additional cost for jewelers, who will need to factor this in when stocking up for the festive season.
What does it mean for customers?
It is also important for customers to understand the changes in hallmarking fees, as jewelers may pass on the cost to them.
Making charges and other costs are also included in the final bill. Therefore, the customer should consider all these charges along with the gold price to determine the total cost of the jewelry.