India’s festive jewellery-buying season is approaching, and buyers may soon notice another cost factor in the gold market. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has revised the hallmarking fee structure for gold and silver articles, with the new rates coming into effect from September 14, 2026.
The most significant change is for gold. The hallmarking fee payable by jewellers to recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) has increased from ₹45 to ₹75 per gold article. The minimum charge for a consignment remains ₹200.
For silver, however, the fee remains at ₹35 per article, with a minimum consignment charge of ₹150. The revised structure comes just as demand typically starts building ahead of Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali and the subsequent wedding season.
What Has Changed in Gold Hallmarking Fees?
Under the amended BIS Hallmarking Regulations, 2026, jewellers must now pay ₹75 for each gold article submitted to a recognised AHC for hallmarking.
There is also a minimum charge of ₹200 per consignment, meaning the actual cost for smaller consignments can be influenced by the minimum rather than simply the per-piece rate.
For silver articles, the revised fee remains ₹35 per article, while the minimum charge per consignment is ₹150.
The regulations also specify charges collected by BIS through the recognised hallmarking centres. For gold, this is ₹7.50 per article, with a minimum of ₹20 per consignment. For silver, it is ₹3.50 per article, with a minimum of ₹15. Applicable taxes are charged separately.
Why the Gold Fee Increase Matters
At first glance, an increase of ₹30 per article may appear relatively small compared with the price of gold itself. But hallmarking is calculated per article rather than according to the weight of the jewellery.
That distinction becomes important for lightweight jewellery.
A small gold ring and a much heavier gold ornament can attract the same basic hallmarking fee because the charge is linked to the article rather than the number of grams of gold it contains.
Industry representatives have therefore raised concerns that the impact can be proportionately larger on lightweight and lower-value jewellery. Reports on the industry response say the Gem & Jewellery Council has sought a review of the increase.
Will Gold Jewellery Become More Expensive?
The revised hallmarking fee does not automatically mean that every jewellery item will become ₹30 more expensive for the customer.
The fee is initially a compliance cost paid by the jeweller to the hallmarking centre. What happens next depends on how individual businesses account for that additional expense.
A jeweller could absorb the additional cost, adjust margins, or incorporate some or all of the expense into the final price structure.
Therefore, buyers should not assume that the new BIS fee alone will determine the final price on their jewellery bill.
The price of the underlying gold, making charges, wastage, taxes and other components can have a much larger influence on the total amount paid.
What Does the Change Mean for Jewellery Buyers?
For customers, the most important takeaway is not simply the higher fee. It is the importance of understanding exactly what is included in the final jewellery bill.
When shopping for gold during the festive season, buyers can compare the gold rate, purity, making charges and other applicable costs rather than looking only at the headline price.
The revised hallmarking fee is one component of the jewellery ecosystem, while the overall retail price depends on several factors.
Moneycontrol’s report notes that precious-metal jewellery continues to attract a 3% GST, comprising 1.5% CGST and 1.5% SGST on intra-state sales, or 3% IGST on inter-state purchases. The GST rate does not change based on the purity of the gold.
Hallmarking Remains the Bigger Consumer Issue
For buyers, hallmarking is ultimately about more than the fee charged to the jeweller.
A hallmark provides information about the purity and identity of the precious-metal article. BIS hallmarking includes the BIS logo, the purity or fineness designation and a six-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number.
The HUID system is particularly important because it allows the hallmark on an individual piece to be identified and traced through the BIS framework.
This makes checking the hallmark an important step when purchasing jewellery, regardless of whether the item is being bought for a festival, wedding, gift or long-term ownership.
What Should Buyers Check Before Paying?
The revised fee structure is a useful reminder that customers should examine the details of a jewellery purchase rather than focusing only on the gold rate advertised by a store.
Before completing a purchase, buyers should verify the BIS hallmark, purity designation and HUID number on the article.
They should also ask for a clear bill showing the gold value and other applicable charges. Comparing these components between jewellers can provide a more meaningful picture of the actual cost.
BIS enforcement actions have also highlighted the importance of the HUID requirement. In March 2026, BIS officials reported seizing gold jewellery worth about ₹75 lakh that was being offered for sale without the required HUID marking.
Why the Timing Is Important for Jewellers
The fee revision arrives at a commercially important point in the calendar.
September is generally a preparation period for India’s festive jewellery market, followed by major occasions such as Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali, and then the wedding season.
Jewellers therefore have to balance inventory planning, compliance expenses and customer pricing at a time when purchasing activity can increase.
The fixed per-article nature of the hallmarking charge may be particularly relevant for businesses handling large volumes of smaller jewellery pieces.
Gold Prices Remain a Much Bigger Factor
The hallmarking fee change should also be viewed in the context of an already expensive gold market.
The India Bullion and Jewellers Association put the morning price of 24-karat gold at ₹1,51,894 per 10 grams on September 16, 2026, according to the Moneycontrol report.
That means the additional hallmarking charge is relatively small compared with the underlying value of the metal. However, because the fee is applied per article, its relative impact can vary significantly depending on the size and value of the jewellery being purchased.
For consumers, the final bill therefore remains the more important number to compare.
Silver Buyers Face a Different Situation
Silver buyers do not face the same per-article increase under the new structure.
The hallmarking fee payable by jewellers for silver articles remains ₹35 per article, with a minimum consignment charge of ₹150.
This means the headline fee revision is primarily a gold-jewellery issue rather than an across-the-board increase for both precious metals.
The Larger Question for the Jewellery Industry
The latest change highlights a broader issue in India’s jewellery market: how the cost of compliance is distributed across businesses and customers.
Hallmarking is intended to provide consumers with greater confidence about the purity and identification of precious-metal articles. At the same time, the cost of maintaining that certification system represents an operating expense for jewellers.
The debate now is likely to focus on whether the revised gold fee is manageable across different segments of the jewellery market, particularly businesses selling lightweight ornaments.
Industry reaction will therefore be worth watching as the festive season gets underway.
What the New Rules Mean in Simple Terms
For consumers, the immediate message is straightforward.
Gold hallmarking now costs jewellers ₹75 per article, up from ₹45, while silver remains at ₹35 per article. The minimum consignment charges are ₹200 for gold and ₹150 for silver, and applicable taxes are additional. The new structure has been effective since September 14, 2026.
But this does not mean every jewellery bill will automatically rise by ₹30.
The actual effect on customers will depend on how individual jewellers account for the additional compliance cost and how it interacts with gold prices, making charges and other components of the bill.
As India’s festive jewellery season begins, buyers may therefore benefit from paying attention not just to the daily gold rate, but also to purity, HUID, making charges and the complete invoice.
In a market where even small cost components can add up across thousands of jewellery purchases, understanding the bill may be just as important as watching the gold price.