Pure Pearls Glossary
Hallmark
An official stamp certifying precious metal purity. In India, BIS hallmarking is mandatory for gold jewellery.
A BIS hallmark carries the Bureau of Indian Standards mark, the purity grade, and a six-digit alphanumeric HUID unique to that item.
Hallmarking is compulsory for gold jewellery sold in India. Silver hallmarking exists but remains voluntary.
The HUID can be verified through the BIS Care app, which will show the registered jeweller and the declared purity.
When you are buying
Check the HUID in the BIS app before paying for any gold piece. It takes under a minute and is the only independent verification available to a retail buyer.
Read next
Karat vs Carat
Karat measures gold purity out of 24. Carat measures gemstone weight. They sound identical and mean entirely different things.
925 Sterling Silver
An alloy of 92.5% silver with 7.5% other metals, usually copper. The international standard for silver jewellery.
Certificate of Authenticity
A document stating what a pearl is. Useful in proportion to who issued it and what it actually tests.
Not sure what you are being sold?
Paste any pearl description — another shop’s listing, a message from a jeweller, an old certificate — and we will break it down term by term.