A digital visiting card for jewellers, and why a design cannot carry a HUID
Hallmarked gold is sold on trust that a buyer can check. BIS has rules for what a registered jeweller shows in the shop, and what goes on the bill. A profile should follow the same logic.
Yes. BIS says a HUID is a six-digit code unique to each hallmarked piece, so a catalogue design cannot carry one, but a single piece in stock can. Show your BIS registration number and the purity of each piece, and tell buyers to check a HUID in the BIS Care app. The invoice, not the profile, must give net weight, purity and hallmarking charges.
Sources: Bureau of Indian Standards, Bureau of Indian Standards
- BIS registration certificate numberShow it
- Each design: purity, weight, priceShow it
- HUID of one piece in stockThat piece only
- A HUID against a designLeave off
- Check any HUID in the BIS Care appShow it
Three marks on a piece, and one of them is unique to that piece
BIS says a HUID is a six-digit alphanumeric number which is unique for each hallmarked item and is traceable. Since HUID began on 1 July 2021, a hallmark consists of three marks: the BIS logo, the purity in carat as well as fineness, and the HUID. Only the third one is different for every piece.
The BIS logo
The same on every hallmarked piece.
Purity, in carat and fineness
The same for every piece of the same purity. This is the one a catalogue can state for a design you intend to make in that purity.
The HUID
Six letters and digits, different on every piece. A buyer types it into the BIS Care app to check the piece. This is the one that cannot sit against a design.
Hallmarking is mandatory only in notified districts and for notified purities, and the order has been amended several times, most recently on the list BIS publishes at 3 August 2026. Check BIS's phase-wise district list for your town rather than a figure from an article.
What BIS makes a registered jeweller display
Section 3 of BIS's revised jeweller guidelines of July 2026 lists what must be on show in a sales outlet. A profile cannot replace any of it, but each item has a natural twin online.
| Where | What the guidelines require | Clause | On the profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outside the shop | RequirementThe BIS logo with the words "Hallmarked Jewellery Available for Sale". | Clause3.1 | On the profileAsk BIS before using the logo online. Say in words that you sell hallmarked jewellery. |
| Inside, prominently | RequirementYour BIS certificate of registration. | Clause3.2 | On the profileYour certificate number, near the top of the profile. |
| Inside | RequirementThe components of a hallmark, as they appear on an article. | Clause3.3.1 | On the profileA short explainer: BIS logo, purity, HUID. |
| Inside | RequirementA magnifying glass of at least 10X, and a weighing balance, so a buyer can check the hallmark and the weight. | Clause3.3.2 and 3.3.3 | On the profileInvite buyers to check both, at the counter. |
| Inside | RequirementBIS contact details, and the hallmarking charges. | Clause3.3.4 and 3.3.5 | On the profileThe charges in plain rupees, and where to complain. |
| Inside | RequirementA poster of the BIS Care app, so buyers can verify with "Verify HUID". | Clause3.3.6 | On the profileOne line with the app name and what to tap. |
What the bill must say, and what is left to you
Many guides say the HUID must be printed on every bill. BIS's own page says otherwise, so this is worth getting exactly right, especially if a customer quotes an article back at you.
- A separate description of each article.
- The net weight of precious metal.
- The purity in carat and fineness.
- The hallmarking charges.
- A line saying the buyer can get the purity checked at any BIS-recognised hallmarking centre.
From clause 7.3 of the guidelines, which applies to shop sales and to sales between jewellers.
- Writing the HUID number on the invoice.
- Keeping a record of HUID numbers.
BIS's Jewellers page answers both with a plain no. It also says details of hallmarked articles should be on the bill for any dispute or complaint, which is why most jewellers print the HUID anyway.
Can this go on my profile? Pick a line
Each answer comes from BIS's own documents or Google's policy, with the clause behind it. The table lists 11 items: 5 marked "Show it", 3 marked "Ask first" and 3 marked "Leave off".
The rule behind this answer: BIS FAQ.
| Item | Verdict | Why | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your BIS registration certificate number | VerdictShow it | WhyThe certificate must be displayed prominently in the shop. Showing its number on the profile lets a buyer confirm you are registered before they visit. | RuleGuidelines 3.2 |
| The BIS logo with "Hallmarked Jewellery Available for Sale" | VerdictAsk first | WhyThe guidelines prescribe this sign for the outside of the sales outlet. They say nothing about a profile, so ask your BIS branch office before you use the logo online. | RuleGuidelines 3.1 |
| Purity in carat on each catalogue item | VerdictShow it | WhyPurity in carat and fineness is part of the hallmark and of the invoice. State it for pieces you actually hold as hallmarked. | RuleGuidelines 7.3 |
| A HUID number against a catalogue design | VerdictLeave off | WhyA HUID is unique to one hallmarked item. A design you can make again has no HUID of its own, so any number shown there is wrong. | RuleBIS FAQ |
| The HUID of one specific piece in stock | VerdictAsk first | WhyTrue for that piece while you hold it. Remove it or mark it sold when the piece sells, and update its status in BIS's HUID transfer module. | RuleGuidelines 7.4 |
| A line telling buyers they can check a HUID in the BIS Care app | VerdictShow it | WhyThe guidelines make you display the BIS Care app poster in the shop. The same line on the profile reaches buyers before they walk in. | RuleGuidelines 3.3.6 |
| Hallmarking charges | VerdictShow it | WhyThey must be displayed inside the shop and appear on the bill. Saying so on the profile avoids a surprise at the counter. | RuleGuidelines 3.3.5 and 7.3 |
| Net weight of each piece | VerdictShow it | WhyThe invoice must give the net weight of precious metal for each article. Listing it in the catalogue matches what the buyer will get on the bill. | RuleGuidelines 7.3 |
| "HUID on every invoice" as a promise | VerdictAsk first | WhyBIS says mentioning the HUID on an invoice is voluntary at present. If you promise it, do it every time. The required invoice details are the description, net weight, purity and hallmarking charges. | RuleBIS Jewellers page |
| Calling a piece hallmarked when it is not | VerdictLeave off | WhyA piece that falls short of its stated purity costs you two times the difference, worked out on the shortage, as BIS quotes Rule 49. | RuleBIS mandatory FAQ |
| A discount or a coin for a Google review | VerdictLeave off | WhyGoogle names discounts and free goods as incentives it does not allow in exchange for a review. | RuleGoogle Maps policy |
A catalogue that a buyer opens before they walk in
A customer taps your card at a wedding fair or a counter, and the profile opens with no app on an iPhone XS or later or any NFC Android phone. Designs, purity, weight and a booking sit on one page, and you change a price in one place. There is more about shops in the shops and showrooms page.
Product listings
Designs with weight, purity and price. Add the note that the HUID is given on the piece and checked in the BIS Care app.
PDF catalogue or brochure
A bridal or festival catalogue as a file. It opens in the browser and does not need an app.
Photo gallery
Photographs of pieces, sorted by occasion, so a buyer can browse before visiting.
Appointment booking
A booking for a bridal consultation or a store visit. It shows as a list or a calendar.
Google review button
One link for every customer, with nothing offered in return.
WhatsApp store
Customers pick items and the order arrives in your WhatsApp chat. Its eight designs include one for jewellery.
What a jeweller pays
The catalogue, gallery, booking and PDF are on Basic. The Google review button is on Pro. The WhatsApp store is on Enterprise.
Questions from jewellers
Can I show a HUID number in my online catalogue?
Not against a design. BIS says a HUID is a six-digit alphanumeric number that is unique for each hallmarked item, so it belongs to one physical piece, not to a design that you can make again. For a single piece in stock you can show its HUID, but take it down when the piece sells.
Sources: Bureau of Indian Standards
What is in a hallmark?
Since HUID was introduced on 1 July 2021, a hallmark has three marks: the BIS logo, the purity of the article in carat as well as fineness, and the six-digit alphanumeric HUID.
Sources: Bureau of Indian Standards
Must the HUID be written on the invoice?
BIS says mentioning the HUID number on an invoice is voluntary at present, and so is keeping a record of HUID numbers. What the guidelines do require on the invoice is a description of each article, the net weight of precious metal, the purity in carat and fineness, the hallmarking charges, and a line saying the buyer can get the purity checked at any BIS-recognised hallmarking centre.
Sources: Bureau of Indian Standards, Bureau of Indian Standards
How does a customer check a piece?
With the "Verify HUID" feature in the BIS Care app. The guidelines make you display a poster of the app inside the shop, alongside a magnifying glass of at least 10X and a weighing balance so a customer can check the hallmark and the weight.
Sources: Bureau of Indian Standards, Bureau of Indian Standards
How do I register as a jeweller?
Online, on the National Single Window System portal. BIS says no fee is charged, the certificate is granted instantly without any documents, and it stays valid for life. The certificate must be displayed prominently in the sales outlet.
Sources: Bureau of Indian Standards, Bureau of Indian Standards
Which districts and purities must be hallmarked?
Hallmarking is mandatory in notified districts and for notified purities, in phases. The order has been amended several times, most recently on the list of amendments BIS publishes dated 3 August 2026, so check BIS's phase-wise list of districts and the exemptions guideline for your town before you rely on a number from an article.
Sources: Bureau of Indian Standards, Bureau of Indian Standards
What happens if a hallmarked piece is not the purity it says?
BIS quotes Rule 49: when a precious metal article does not meet the standard, the compensation to the buyer is two times the amount of the difference, worked out on the shortage of purity.
Sources: Bureau of Indian Standards
Do customers need an app to open the catalogue?
No. A tap on the NFC card or a scan of the QR code opens the profile in the phone's browser.
See also: shops and showrooms, restaurants and FSSAI menus and what Google allows when you ask for reviews. Every profession is on the industries page.
This page explains published BIS documents. It is not legal advice, and BIS decides how its rules apply to your shop.
Sources
The BIS rules are quoted from BIS's own documents, read on the date shown. Google's rule is from its Maps content policy.
- Bureau of Indian Standards, Revised Guidelines for Grant, Operation, Surveillance & Cancellation of Certificate of Registration of Jeweller (HM/Jeweller/Guidelines/2, July 2026). Checked .
- Bureau of Indian Standards, Jewellers. Checked .
- Bureau of Indian Standards, Hallmarking FAQs - General. Checked .
- Bureau of Indian Standards, Hallmarking FAQs - Under the mandatory system. Checked .
- Bureau of Indian Standards, Mandatory Hallmarking Order. Checked .
- Google, Prohibited & restricted content - Maps User Generated Content Policy. Checked .
Show the purity, keep the HUID for the piece, and let buyers check it themselves.
One tap opens your designs, your BIS registration and a booking, and you update a price once for every customer.