Understanding About Gold's Hallmarks, KDM, and 916 Gold

Posted by Nigam Ashru on February 21st, 2023

Gold purity, the identity mark of the hallmarking center, the identification mark of the jeweler, and assaying should all be taken into account in addition to the gold price while shopping for gold jewelry. Only recently has there been one reliable method for ensuring the purity of gold used in jewelry.

Customers in India used to be wary about buying gold before the BIS hallmarking program was implemented. In this article, we'll take a quick look at the basics of three common types of gold you'll see while shopping for precious metals: BIS Hallmark gold, KDM gold, and 916 gold. Understanding the nuances between these three terms will help us zero in on the best possibilities for gold purity and uniformity.

Hallmark Gold

Gold that bears a hallmark has been subjected to a rigorous procedure of quality control and certification before being awarded the title. Gold items are hallmarked by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), a government institution, to verify their fineness and purity. When a gold object is hallmarked, it proves that the gold used in its production meets the BIS Act's strict purity requirements. When it comes to the hallmarking of gold products like jewelry, coins, and bars, only the BIS is officially recognized by the government of India to run the certification system. The BIS approves many hallmarking and assaying centers where authorized jewelers may have their products hallmarked and certified.

Four components, including the standard BIS Logo, Purity in Karat and Fineness, the logo or number of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centre, and the Jeweller's Identification mark or logo, are laser etched on hallmarked gold objects. Use our manual to learn more about these factors.

Gold KDM

Knowing how gold jewelry is made can help immensely in understanding kdm gold. Since gold is so malleable, it must be joined with other metals using solder filler to take on the complex forms required for jewelry. Gold solder is an alloy of gold and another metal having a lower melting point than gold, which melts to attach gold components without harming the gold itself. In the past, gold and copper were often mixed at roughly 60% to 40% to make this solder.

It was used extensively for jewelry for a long time because of its durability and simplicity of construction. Unfortunately, this resulted in solder with just 60% purity. Therefore, the purity of the metal obtained after melting this piece of jewelry is less than 22 Karat. This is why you could find a 22/20 seal on some of your antique jewelry (20 meaning the melting purity of 20 karats).

Consequently, cadmium started to be employed as an alternative to copper to address these issues and keep the purity of gold at a premium. The benefit was that a 92% pure count could be achieved by mixing gold and cadmium at 92% to 8%. This guaranteed that the jewelry's quality and finish would be consistent, regardless of the quantity of solder used. In time, jewelry manufactured from this cadmium-soldered gold became known as KDM gold. However, the BIS has outlawed this kind of gold since it has been linked to health problems for the artists who work with it and the people who wear it.

Delicate gold jewelry is represented by BIS 916 Gold, which contains 91.6 g per 100 g. Purity levels are used to classify gold, with 24 karats, 23 karats, 22 karats, 18 karat, 14 karats, ten karat, etc., all existing on the market. Gold that has been hallmarked at 22 karats is called "BIS 916" gold, with the 916 signifying the gold's purity. Similar to how 958 gold refers to 23 karat gold, 750 gold stands for 18 karat gold.

Conclusion

22 Karat or BIS 916 Gold is used to make intricate patterns since it is more complicated than pure gold (24K) and has a greater purity level than 18K or 14K. That's why 22K Gold and 916 Gold are the most popular choices for jewelry buyers interested in gold. In addition, before purchasing anything made of gold, you should double-check the going rate in your city. You may look it up online or ask the jeweler directly.