Question 1

What do 22K, 24K and 18K actually mean?

Accepted Answer

Karat measures gold purity out of 24 parts. 24K is about 99.9% pure — soft, and rarely used for jewellery you'd wear daily; it's more commonly bought as coins or bars. 22K (about 91.6% pure) is the standard for most Indian gold jewellery, including bridal pieces: the small amount of alloy added gives it enough strength to hold its shape and stones. 18K (75% pure) shows up more in diamond-set and Western-style pieces, where the alloy adds durability the stone-setting needs.

Question 2

What does a BIS hallmark actually tell you?

Accepted Answer

A genuine BIS hallmark carries the BIS Standard Mark, the purity grade (for example "22K916" — 22 karat, 91.6% fine), the assaying centre's mark, and a 6-character HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) engraved on the piece since HUID became mandatory. You can look up any HUID on the BIS CARE app to see what it was registered as. If a jeweller can't show you the hallmark on a specific piece, that's worth asking about before you buy — from us or anyone else.

Question 3

How is the final price actually built?

Accepted Answer

Three things, stacked: the gold rate for the day (per gram, by karat) × the piece's weight, plus making charges (the labour cost — see the next question), plus GST. The number quoted on the news or a rate app is usually the bullion rate, not what you pay across the counter once making charges and tax are added — see today's rate above for the current number and how we handle it.

Question 4

Do making charges and GST apply on top of the rate shown above?

Accepted Answer

Yes, always. Making charges pay for the labour, not the metal — a plain machine-made chain costs far less to make than a hand-finished bridal set with filigree or stone-setting, so they vary by design and craftsmanship. They're usually charged either as a flat rate per gram or a percentage of the gold value. GST is currently 3% on the gold value and typically 5% on making charges when itemised separately — tax rates can change, so treat this as a general guide. Either way, we walk through the full break-up — gold value, making charges, and GST, each as its own line — at the counter before you decide, not after.

Question 5

How often does the gold rate change?

Accepted Answer

Gold trades continuously, so the rate can move more than once within a single day depending on international bullion markets and the rupee exchange rate. A price quoted in the morning may not hold by evening.

Question 6

How does gold exchange / old gold valuation typically work?

Accepted Answer

Old gold is usually re-tested for purity (since the original hallmark, if any, may not reflect wear or an undisclosed alloy mix), weighed, and valued at the current rate for its tested purity — not the rate on the day you originally bought it. Ask any jeweller, including us, to test the piece in front of you and explain the purity result before agreeing a value.

Purity	Rate per gram
22K gold	—
24K gold	—
18K gold	—
Silver	—

Today’s gold rate in Shivajinagar, Bengaluru

What sits on top of the gold rate

Making charges

GST

Purity, pricing and hallmarking, explained