Tip: How to identify an old gold/diamond jewellery piece

This is only possible with a hallmarked jewellery item. You can identify whether a peice of jewellery lying in front of you is old or new. Yuo can precisely tell how old a jewellery piece is.


Hallmark is an assurance of the quality of a precious metal like gold and silver jewellery in India. There are five symbols which are laser engraved on any hallmarked jewellery . In the picture below you will notice the 5 symbols namely the Hallmark symbol, the purity of gold which is 916 ( i.e. 22k), the assay centre's logo, the jeweller's logo and the year of hallmarking ie. J.


This last peice of information is what reveals the age of the jewellery in the picture. The hallmarking process was started in year 2000 so the corresponding symbol is A. The table below illustrates the corresponsing hallmark symbol for the subsequent years.

'A'	Year 2000	'E'	Year 2004
'B'	Year 2001	'F'	Year 2005
'C'	Year 2002	'G'	Year 2006
'D'	Year 2003	'H'	Year 2007

So now my dear friends you knwo the jewellery item in the picture above is hallmarked in the year 2009. So next time you see a hallmarked item with a F you know it was manufactured way back in 2005.

Answers to the test

Ok time to go through the answers for the previous test. For the uninitiated its answers to the questions in the post below this one. I remember how I used to feel in my school days where soon after giving the test I would like to know the answers. Friends would huddle together to discuss them, of course now you have the internet to turn to.

One reason to give this test is to see how 'jewellery aware' the visitors or stumblers to this site are. I have no clue how many took the test and how many were even right. With not much actvity in that dept. I guess we are all left with wild guesses to make. I have a better response to the poll that is going on right now. The findings of that poll would be analysed in a post after this one.

So quickly the answers

1) c : there are 5 signs needed to identify a hallmarked jewellery. They are BIS logo, Purity fineness, Assaying or hallmarking centre's logo, Year of hallmarking and finally the jeweller's logo

2) d: the survey found 90% of the ornaments tested for the claimed purity to be grossly deficient in purity. More articles here.

3) b: The corresponding hallmark sign for 18k purity is 750. Want to know whats the sign for other purity levels? Read here

4) a: Hallmarking ascertains the purity of only the gold used in the ornament be it gold jewellery or diamond jewellery.

5) a: A consumer should lose only the making charges on return of gold jewellery.

6) a: Yes diamonds mounted on jewellery are certifiable . Thanks to the opening of diamond grading labs like IGI it is now possible to know the clarity and color of diamonds 'embedded' in gold.

7) b: A certificate by a reputed grading lab like IGI, GIA or EGL only indicates the characteristics based on 4Cs. It doesnt indicate the value of the diamond.

8) a: The 4Cs of a diamond are cut colour, clarity and carat. Diamonds sold with names as white, super deluxe or eye clean are a clever way of hiding the other qualities of a diamond.

Take this test to determine your jewellery quotient.

I have put up an impromptu test for you. Actually I thought of this test yesterday afternoon but decided on questions just now. What better way than this to quickly replenish your knowledge in jewellery 'must knows'. Leave your answers and email ID in the comments section.

Answers to this test will be revealed/explained in the next post. Here it goes:

How many marks does a hallmark jewellery have.
a) 3
b) 4
c) 5
d) 6

A survey conducted by BIS found how much(in percentage) jewellery were deficient in purity claimed
a) 20%
b) 50%
c) 75%
d) 90%

What is the corresponding hallmark for a jewellery made in 18k gold?
a) 916
b) 750
c)585
d) 958

Hallmarking ascertains the purity of
a) Gold
b) Diamond
c) Gemstones
d) Alloy

Best Practise Question: When returning gold jewellery how much does a consumer lose?
a) Only making charges
b) making +10%
c) making +5%
d) Nothing

Are diamonds mounted on jewellery certifiable?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Depends

A certificate of diamond also indicates its value
a) Yes
b) No

The main characteristics of a diamond are
a) Cut, Colour, Clarity, Carat
b) Cut, Colour, Eye-Clean, Carat
c) Shape, Colour, Clarity, Carat
d) Cut , Colour, Clarity, Deluxe quality

Let me give you a hint: Only one choice is correct in the above test.
You can use the internet and our blog to find answers to this test but you wouldn't know your real jewellery quotient then. So don't cheat.
More than one question is India specific and doesn't indicate behaviour/patterns in other countries.

Photo credit jubea via flickr.com