Gold buying guide

On any given day the gold price is much the same everywhere. What changes from shop to shop is purity, making charges, wastage and how honestly the weight is billed. Buy only BIS-hallmarked gold with a 6-character HUID, and get a proper bill.

Brands to trust

These big names sell hallmarked stock and give clear bills. What matters most is the hallmark and the bill, not the brand name.

• Tanishq (National) — Tata group's jewellery brand. Stores across India, hallmarked stock and printed bills.
• CaratLane (National) — Also part of Tata's Titan. Online first, with stores. Good for light 14K and 18K daily wear.
• Kalyan Jewellers (National) — Large chain across India. Its online store is Candere.
• Malabar Gold & Diamonds (National) — Large chain in India and the Gulf, with a written buyback policy.
• Joyalukkas (National) — Large chain, strong in the south and west.
• Senco Gold & Diamonds (Regional) — Well-established chain in eastern India.
• Trusted local jewellers (Local) — Just as good if they sell HUID-hallmarked pieces, weigh in front of you and give a GST bill.

What to avoid

• Jewellery without a HUID (Avoid) — Selling hallmarked gold without the 6-character HUID has been banned since 1 April 2023.
• A "cash price" without a bill (Avoid) — Without a bill you can't prove the purity or weight, and you can't resell or exchange it easily.
• Unregulated digital gold apps (Risky) — In November 2025 SEBI warned that digital gold is outside its rules. Gold ETFs and gold mutual funds are regulated.
• Saving schemes from small, unknown shops (Risky) — Jewellers' 11-month schemes have no regulator. If the shop closes you may not get your money back.

When to buy

• Dhanteras and Diwali (Offers) — Dhanteras is on 6 Nov 2026 and Diwali on 8 Nov 2026. Most chains offer making-charge discounts in the weeks before.
• Akshaya Tritiya (Offers) — Around 8-9 May 2027. Another big offer season for making charges.
• Quiet months (Bargain) — In the monsoon and other slow weeks, shops are emptier and more willing to cut making charges.
• Peak wedding season (Wait) — Demand is at its highest, so there is less room to bargain.
• Don't try to time the gold price — No one can predict it. If you are buying as an investment, buy a little at a time.

Where to buy

• Brand or trusted jeweller's store (Offline) — Best for jewellery. You can see the piece weighed and ask for a purity check.
• Brand websites and apps (Online) — Fine for coins and light jewellery from Tanishq, CaratLane or Candere. Check that the bill shows the HUID.
• Amazon and Flipkart (Online) — Buy only coins from a brand's official store, and check the HUID when it arrives.
• Gold ETFs and gold mutual funds (Invest) — For investment only: no making charges and no purity worries. No new Sovereign Gold Bonds have been issued since February 2024.

How to check purity

• 24K (999 / 995) — Pure gold. Only for coins and bars, because it is too soft for jewellery.
• 22K (916) — Traditional Indian jewellery: chains, bangles, necklaces.
• 18K (750) — Diamond and stone jewellery, because it holds stones firmly.
• 14K (585) and 9K (375) — Cheaper, harder-wearing daily wear. 9K became a hallmarked grade on 1 July 2025.
• Read the hallmark (Must) — It has three marks: the BIS triangle, the purity (for example 22K916) and a 6-character HUID.
• Verify the HUID in the BIS CARE app (Must) — Choose 'Verify HUID' and enter the code. The purity, jeweller and article type it shows must match the piece.
• Check the weight — Weight of stones, lac or wax must be taken out of the gold weight and billed separately.
• Test old or unhallmarked gold — Any BIS assaying and hallmarking centre will test your jewellery for a small fee.

How to negotiate

• Bargain on making charges, not the gold rate — The day's gold rate is fixed. Making charges are not. Ask for them per gram and compare two shops.
• Ask them to drop 'wastage' — Some shops add a wastage or 'VA' charge on top of making charges. Ask for it to be removed or reduced.
• Stones at stone price — Stones must never be billed at the gold rate.
• Old gold exchange — Ask for the purity test result and the deduction percentage before you agree.

Offers and savings

• Festive making-charge discounts — The biggest saving. Discounts of a fixed percentage off making charges are common around Dhanteras and Akshaya Tritiya.
• Old-gold exchange bonus — Some chains give extra value when you exchange old gold during an offer.
• Bank card offers — Brand websites run card offers in sale seasons. Check the cap and the minimum purchase.
• Jeweller saving schemes — Join only with a large, established brand, and read what happens if you miss a payment.

Warranty, buyback and bill

• There's no warranty on the metal — Ask instead for the buyback and exchange policy in writing: how much is deducted, and does it apply in any branch?
• Keep the bill — It should show karat, gold rate per gram, net weight, making charges, stone charges, HUID and 3% GST.
• Free services — Many chains clean, polish and resize for free. Ask before you buy.

Sources

• Mandatory HUID based hallmarking from 1 April 2023 — Press Information Bureau
• Consumers can get un-hallmarked jewellery tested at Assaying and Hallmarking Centres — Press Information Bureau
• Hallmarking: consumer protection — Bureau of Indian Standards
• New BIS hallmark rules in India 2026: HUID, gold and silver — GFolio
• SEBI warns investors against unregulated digital gold schemes — All India Radio News
• Laws governing gold savings schemes by jewellery brands — LiveLaw
• Sovereign Gold Bond scheme: discontinued for new issues — GoldenPi
• Diwali 2026: Dhanteras, Diwali, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj — Samvat
• Akshaya Tritiya 2027 date and muhurat — Drik Panchang