Key Takeaways
- 1What does BIS require on a hallmarked jewellery invoice
- 2What is HUID and how should billing software handle it
- 3Which jewellers and articles are covered by mandatory hallmarking
- 4Is silver hallmarking mandatory in 2026
- 5How should GST and making charges appear on a jewellery bill
Quick Answer
Jewellery billing software in India must record the 6-digit HUID of every hallmarked gold piece, and print on the invoice the article description, net weight of precious metal, purity in carat and fineness, and hallmarking charges shown separately, as BIS rules require. It should apply 3% GST on the full value of finished jewellery including making charges, handle old gold exchange, live metal rates and PAN capture for high-value sales, and support silver HUID, which is voluntary under IS 2112:2025 as of October 2026.
As of 3 October 2026. Gold HUID hallmarking is mandatory in a growing list of notified districts, reported to have reached about 380 after a phase in March 2026, and silver HUID hallmarking has been available on a voluntary basis since 1 September 2025, so Dhanteras on 6 November 2026 is a good deadline to get billing right.
This guide is for jewellers, bullion and silver traders, and the accountants who handle their books, in Rajkot's Soni Bazaar and across India. After reading, you will have a requirements list to check your current billing software against, or to hand to a developer, before the Dhanteras rush.
What does BIS require on a hallmarked jewellery invoice
BIS hallmarking rules require the bill for hallmarked jewellery to show each article's description, the net weight of precious metal, its purity in carat and fineness, and the hallmarking charges separately, so your software must store these per item.
The BIS consumer FAQ on hallmarking lists these invoice details. Customers increasingly check them, and many verify the HUID on the government's BIS CARE app before paying. A bill that prints only "gold ornaments, 22K, 15.2 g, ₹1,xx,xxx" is not enough.
- Description of each article: ring, chain, bangle pair, with design or tag number.
- Net weight of precious metal: gross weight minus stones, beads and other non-metal parts.
- Purity: carat and fineness, for example 22K916 or 18K750.
- Hallmarking charges: shown as a separate line, charged per article.
- HUID: not listed as a mandatory invoice field in the consumer FAQ, but printing it on the bill is the simplest way to tie each sold piece to its hallmark.
What is HUID and how should billing software handle it
HUID is a six-character alphanumeric code laser-marked on each hallmarked piece, unique to that article, and since 1 April 2023 only jewellery with a six-digit HUID hallmark can be sold in areas under mandatory hallmarking.
For software, HUID means each piece is an individual item, not a quantity of a design. Your stock record must link tag number, HUID, design, gross weight, net weight, stone details and purity. When the piece is sold, the HUID moves to the invoice and the stock record closes.
HUID features to look for
- HUID field per tag, validated for six characters and checked for duplicates.
- Bulk import of HUIDs when pieces come back from the assaying and hallmarking centre.
- Barcode or RFID tag that pulls up HUID, weights and purity at the counter.
- HUID printed on the invoice and on the estimate.
- Search by HUID for returns, exchanges and customer queries.
- Report of unsold stock without HUID, so nothing unhallmarked reaches the counter by mistake.
Which jewellers and articles are covered by mandatory hallmarking
Mandatory gold hallmarking applies in notified districts, with exemptions reported for jewellers with annual turnover up to ₹40 lakh and for gold articles weighing up to 2 grams, so check BIS for the current district list and conditions.
Major jewellery centres such as Rajkot have been covered from the early phases. The list has been extended in phases, so a jeweller in a smaller district should not assume they are outside it. Your software should still record HUID for every hallmarked piece regardless of whether your district is notified, because customers ask for it.
Is silver hallmarking mandatory in 2026
As of October 2026, silver HUID hallmarking under the revised standard IS 2112:2025 is voluntary, introduced from 1 September 2025, and BIS has publicly said it will move to mandatory silver hallmarking gradually.
The revised silver standard recognises seven purity grades: 800, 835, 925, 958, 970, 990 and 999. A silver hallmark carries the BIS mark with the word SILVER, the purity grade and an HUID. Reports through 2026 have suggested a mandatory phase could follow, but no date had been confirmed at the time of writing.
The practical advice: make sure your billing software can store silver HUID and fineness now, the same way it stores gold. Dhanteras is a heavy day for silver coins, utensils and gift articles, and customers who receive a hallmarked silver piece will expect the bill to match it.
How should GST and making charges appear on a jewellery bill
GST on finished gold and silver jewellery is 3% on the full transaction value including making charges, whether or not making charges are shown separately, while job work charges for making jewellery from a customer's own metal attract 5%.
These rates were not changed by the GST restructuring of September 2025. Your software needs both flows: a retail sale where metal value, making charges and stone value are all taxed at 3%, and a job work bill where only the making charge is billed, at 5%.
| Line on the bill | Retail sale of finished jewellery | Job work on customer's metal |
|---|---|---|
| Metal value (net weight x rate) | Yes, taxed at 3% | Not billed, customer's own metal |
| Making charges | Shown separately or included, taxed at 3% | Billed as job work at 5% |
| Stone or diamond value | Yes, as part of jewellery value | Only if you supply stones |
| Hallmarking charges | Shown separately | Shown separately if applicable |
| Old gold exchange | Shown as part payment, confirm GST treatment with your CA | Not applicable |
Old gold exchange is where billing goes wrong most often. Most practices treat old gold as a part payment against the new jewellery, so GST is computed on the full value of the new piece. Confirm the treatment with your CA and set it up once in software rather than adjusting at the counter.
What other features does jewellery billing software need
Beyond HUID and GST, a jewellery POS needs daily metal rate entry, making charge rules per gram or percentage, stone weight deduction, old gold valuation, PAN capture for high-value sales, and cash payment limits built into the bill.
| Requirement | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Daily gold and silver rate per purity | Prices change every day, often twice on Dhanteras |
| Making charge as per gram, percentage or fixed | Different designs and counters use different rules |
| Gross, stone and net weight per tag | Required for the BIS invoice details |
| Old gold purity testing and valuation | Records test result, deduction and value given |
| PAN capture above the income tax limit | High-value sales require PAN; check the current limit |
| Cash receipt limit warning | Income tax rules restrict large cash receipts in one transaction |
| Advance booking and gold savings schemes | Dhanteras pre-booking at a locked rate |
| Karigar issue and receipt | Tracks metal given to and received from craftsmen, with wastage |
| Tag printing with barcode or RFID | Faster counter billing and stock audits |
| E-invoice support where applicable | Depends on turnover; check the current threshold on the GST portal |
What JK Tech Hub has seen with jewellers in Rajkot
With jewellers around Soni Bazaar in Rajkot, the hardest part of HUID compliance has been keeping a clean link between tag, HUID and weights from the hallmarking centre to the counter.
A family-run jewellery showroom in Rajkot had HUIDs written on paper tags and typed into bills by hand. Typos meant a few bills each week carried codes that did not match the piece, which surfaced when customers checked them on the BIS CARE app. Importing HUIDs directly from the hallmarking centre's lot list and scanning tags at the counter removed manual entry. A silver articles wholesaler started recording fineness per piece for 925 and 999 items ahead of any mandate, so its retail customers could print matching details on their own bills.
Old gold exchange was the other recurring issue. When counter staff entered exchanges as a discount, GST was understated. We moved it to a payment mode with a separate valuation slip.
How to decide: fix your current software or replace it
If your current software can store HUID per tag, print the BIS invoice details and handle old gold as a payment, fix the gaps; if it treats jewellery as quantity of a design, replace it after the festive season.
Do not switch systems in the four weeks before Dhanteras. Instead, close the urgent gaps now: HUID on the bill, correct net weight, hallmarking charges as a separate line. Plan the larger move, with tag-level stock, karigar tracking and silver HUID, for December or January, when stock counts are easier and staff have time to learn.
Related reading and next step
The guides and pages below cover POS features, festive billing preparation and costs, which every jeweller should review alongside the HUID and hallmarking requirements in this checklist.
Read the Diwali 2026 POS checklist, the POS software features checklist and our POS billing software cost guide, or see our POS billing software. For a fixed quote on HUID-ready jewellery billing software, reach us through the contact page or on WhatsApp.
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