Gold Stamp 916, 750 and 585: What Each Hallmark Means
Table of Contents
Three numbers do the talking on Indian gold: a gold stamp 916 declares 91.6% pure gold, which is 22 karat; 750 declares 75%, or 18 karat; and 585 declares 58.5%, which is 14 karat. Higher number, higher purity, and the figures come straight from the fineness system that Indian and international gold standards share. Nothing about the stamps is decorative. Each one determines the piece's intrinsic worth, its behaviour in daily wear, and the amount a lender will advance against it, which is why reading them correctly matters as much to someone who already owns gold as to someone about to buy it. This guide decodes the fineness arithmetic, sets the three stamps side by side with their alloy mixes and uses, explains the BIS hallmark and its HUID verification, and works the purity-to-loan-value sum in actual grams.
What Does the Gold Stamp Number Actually Mean?
Parts per thousand. That is the entire code. The stamped number states how many parts of pure gold sit in 1,000 parts of the metal, so dividing by 10 gives the purity percentage directly. 916 ÷ 10 = 91.6%. 750 ÷ 10 = 75%. 585 ÷ 10 = 58.5%.
The remainder in each case is alloy, the harder metals mixed in to make gold workable. For context at the top of the scale, pure 24-karat gold marks as 999, and BIS's standard for jewellery uses 995 for the 24K grade. The fineness number system replaced older, vaguer purity descriptions precisely because it leaves nothing to interpretation: the gold purity is printed on the metal itself, in thousandths, for anyone with a magnifying glass.
916 vs 750 vs 585 Gold: Side-by-Side Comparison
|
Stamp |
Karat |
Purity % |
Alloy content |
Common use in India |
|
916 |
22K |
91.6% |
8.4% (copper, silver) |
Traditional jewellery, wedding sets |
|
750 |
18K |
75% |
25% other metals |
Diamond-set and stone-heavy pieces |
|
585 |
14K |
58.5% |
41.5% other metals |
Fashion and export jewellery |
Note: Purity percentages are standard BIS fineness grades and do not vary by market. Usage categories are indicative; the hallmarked purity of any specific piece is shown on its BIS stamp.
916 dominates Indian jewellery counters, and for a practical reason: it holds enough purity to carry serious intrinsic value while keeping just enough alloy to survive daily wear. The gold hallmark comparison also runs wider than these three, since BIS's full gold karat chart spanned six grades from 585 up to 995, with a seventh, 375 (9-karat), added from July 2025, though the three stamps here cover the overwhelming share of what Indian households actually own.
How to Read a BIS Hallmark on Gold Jewellery
A current BIS hallmark carries three marks, stamped together on the piece. The BIS logo, a small triangle, certifies testing at a BIS-recognised centre. The purity mark states caratage and fineness, 22K916 for instance. And the HUID, a six-character alphanumeric code, identifies that individual piece uniquely.
Older jewellery may show a different set. Before the 2021 changeover, hallmarks ran to more components, including the hallmarking centre's own mark and the jeweller's identification mark, which the HUID system has since replaced. Anyone learning how to check gold purity on a piece bought years ago may therefore see four or five stamps where new jewellery shows three; the fineness number reads the same way in both systems, and it is the number that carries the value.
What Is the HUID and Why Does It Matter?
The HUID hallmark code makes every ornament traceable. Six characters, unique to the piece, recorded in the BIS database at the moment of hallmarking. Entered into the BIS Care app or the BIS website, the code returns the registered jeweller's details, the certifying centre, and the certified purity, which makes it the most reliable check on whether a hallmark is genuine. A stamp can be imitated; a database entry answering to the code is much harder to fake. Ten seconds on the app settles what used to take an assayer's visit, and it is the first thing worth doing with any piece whose history is uncertain, before any attempt to verify gold purity by eye.
How Gold Purity Affects Gold Loan Value
Lenders lend against pure gold content, not gross weight, and the stamps convert directly. A 10-gram piece marked 916 contains 9.16 grams of pure gold. The same 10 grams marked 750 holds 7.5 grams, and a 585 piece just 5.85 grams. Three identical-looking bangles, three different quantities of the thing actually being valued.
The loan amount follows from that purity-adjusted weight priced at the prevailing benchmark rate, with RBI's tiered loan-to-value caps applied on top, so the 916 piece supports a meaningfully larger advance than its 750 twin, roughly in proportion to the purity gap of around 22%. The gold loan purity link is that mechanical. IIFL Finance accepts ornaments in the 18 to 22 karat purity range for its gold loans, with the 916 gold loan naturally fetching the most per gram of gross weight, and an indicative eligibility figure can be checked online from weight and stamp alone, with branch assessment and prevailing guidelines deciding the final amount. For gold loan eligibility India wide, the stamp on the inner band is the single most valuable data point an owner holds.
Conclusion
Divide the stamp by ten and the mystery dissolves: 916, 750 and 585 are purity percentages wearing a compact disguise, each defining a different balance between gold content and durability. The comparison table settles which stamp suits which purpose, the HUID check settles whether a mark can be trusted, and the loan arithmetic shows why the difference between 9.16 and 7.5 grams of pure gold in the same bangle is worth real money at a branch counter. For an owner rather than a buyer, that last conversion matters most, since a gold loan may price the stamp's promise in rupees without the piece ever being sold, subject to eligibility and applicable guidelines. Worked numbers on this page are for illustration; valuations and loan amounts in practice turn on assessed purity, the day's benchmark rate, and the guidelines that govern on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 916 the purest gold used in jewellery?
No, though it is the highest purity most jewellery reaches in practice. Pure gold marks as 999, and BIS's jewellery standard includes grades above 916, at 958 (23K) and 995 (24K). The catch is softness: near-pure gold bends and scratches too easily for everyday ornaments, so 916 became India's working standard for wearable high-purity pieces, balancing gold content against durability. Coins and bars, which nobody wears, are where 999 fineness typically lives. For jewellery that must survive daily use, 916 remains the practical ceiling.
Can I pledge 585 or 750 gold for a loan?
Often yes, with the decision resting on each lender's policy; many accept ornaments of 18-karat (750) and above, and acceptance of 585 varies more. The loan is calculated on pure gold content, so a 585 piece yields noticeably less per gram of gross weight than a 916 piece, roughly in line with the purity gap. Under RBI norms, valuation runs on published benchmark prices with the reference rate applied according to the assessed purity of the gold. Checking a lender's accepted grades before visiting, along with an indicative online estimate, saves a wasted trip.
Does a higher gold stamp number mean better jewellery?
Better gold content, yes; better jewellery, not necessarily. Higher purity means more intrinsic value and a softer metal, and softness is a real cost in pieces that take daily knocks or hold stones, which is why diamond-set designs favour 750, whose 25% alloy grips settings more securely than 916 can. The right stamp follows the purpose: 916 for value-dense traditional pieces, 750 for stone work, 585 for hard-wearing fashion jewellery. Purity is one axis of quality. Craftsmanship and fit for use are the others.
How do I verify that a hallmark stamp is genuine?
Find the six-character HUID stamped beside the BIS logo and fineness number, then enter it in the BIS Care app or on the BIS website. A genuine piece returns its registered jeweller, the certifying hallmarking centre, and the certified purity, all matching what the seller claimed; a code that returns nothing, or returns different details, is the red flag that matters. The physical stamps alone can be imitated, so the database check outranks any visual inspection. A magnifying glass helps locate the code on fine pieces.
What is the difference between 916 and KDM gold?
They describe different things entirely. 916 states purity, 91.6% gold. KDM refers to an old soldering practice that used cadmium to join parts of an ornament, a method now banned in India over health concerns for the artisans exposed to cadmium fumes. A piece could historically be both 916 and KDM-soldered, which is where the confusion began. Modern BIS-hallmarked 916 jewellery uses cadmium-free soldering as standard, so the KDM label belongs to the past, while 916 remains the current purity benchmark for 22-karat pieces.
Disclaimer : The information in this blog is for general purposes only and may change without notice. It does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Readers should seek professional guidance and make decisions at their own discretion. IIFL Finance is not liable for any reliance on this content. Read more
