KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 Gold — What's the Difference?

KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold — these three terms appear constantly when buying or selling gold jewellery in India, and they are often misunderstood as competing "types" of gold. They are not. Understanding the difference between KDM, Hallmark, and 916 gold helps you avoid overpaying, buy safer jewellery, and get a fair price when you sell.

This guide from Auriksha — Durgapur's most transparent gold buyer — clears up the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold confusion once and for all: what each term actually means, why KDM was banned, what the 916 hallmark guarantees, and how each affects your payout when you sell gold.

What Does 916 Gold Mean?

In the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold comparison, "916" is the easiest to define: it is a purity figure. 916 gold means 91.6% pure gold — which is exactly 22 karats. The number comes from the fineness scale: 22 ÷ 24 = 0.916, or 91.6%. So when you see "916" stamped on jewellery, it is telling you the piece is 22K gold, the most popular standard for Indian ornaments because it balances purity with durability.

• 916 = 91.6% pure = 22K gold (the standard for Indian jewellery)
• 750 = 75.0% pure = 18K gold (common in studded/designer pieces)
• 999 = 99.9% pure = 24K gold (coins and bars, too soft for jewellery)
• "916" is a purity claim — but a claim is only trustworthy if it is hallmarked

What Is a Hallmark — and How Is It Different from 916?

This is the heart of the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold question. A "916" stamp on its own is just a claim by the seller. A BIS Hallmark is the official, third-party certification by the Bureau of Indian Standards that independently verifies the purity. In other words, 916 tells you the claimed purity; the hallmark proves it. Since 2021, hallmarking has been made mandatory for gold jewellery sold in most of India.

A genuine BIS hallmark on 22K gold today includes three components:

1. The BIS logo (a triangular mark) — confirming Bureau of Indian Standards certification
2. The purity grade in fineness — "22K916" for 22-karat gold
3. The six-digit alphanumeric HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) number — traceable to the specific piece

So in the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold debate, the right way to think about it is: you want 916 (22K) purity that is BIS Hallmarked. The hallmark is the guarantee; 916 is the purity it guarantees.

BIS — Official Hallmarking Standards and HUID ↗

What Is KDM Gold — and Why Was It Banned?

KDM is the term that causes the most confusion in the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold comparison, because it is not a purity grade at all — it refers to a soldering method. "KDM" stands for Cadmium, the metal once used as a solder to join parts of gold jewellery. Cadmium-soldered jewellery was marketed as "KDM gold" and was popular because it allowed high-purity gold joints.

However, cadmium is toxic. It posed serious health risks to the artisans who worked with it (through fume inhalation) and raised purity-consistency concerns. For these reasons, KDM gold has been effectively banned and phased out, replaced by safer soldering alloys and the BIS hallmarking system. Today, reputable jewellers do not sell KDM gold — they sell BIS hallmarked 916 jewellery instead.

KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 Gold: Side-by-Side Comparison

The takeaway from the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold comparison: ask for BIS hallmarked 916 gold. Avoid anything still sold as "KDM," and never assume a "916" stamp alone is proof without the hallmark.

Does KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 Affect Your Gold's Resale Value?

When you SELL gold, here is the reassuring part of the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold story: a fair buyer pays for the actual gold content, regardless of which label your jewellery carries. Whether your piece is marked KDM, 916, or fully hallmarked, what matters at resale is the real purity measured by testing — not the stamp.

• Old KDM jewellery — still valuable; the gold content is real and is paid at the live rate after XRF testing
• 916 / hallmarked jewellery — purity is easy to confirm; you receive full market value
• Non-hallmarked or unmarked gold — XRF reads the true purity, so you are never penalised for a missing stamp
• The buyer's margin and the live MCX rate determine your payout — not the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 label

At Auriksha, we test every piece — KDM, 916, hallmarked, or unmarked — on a non-destructive XRF spectrometer, apply the live MCX rate, and deduct only a fixed 2% margin. So you receive the true value of your gold regardless of where it sits in the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold spectrum.

What to Look for When Buying — and Selling

• When buying: insist on BIS Hallmarked 916 (22K) gold with a visible HUID; avoid jewellery sold as "KDM"
• When selling: do not worry about KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 labels — insist on an XRF test that reads true purity
• Always get a printed invoice showing tested purity, weight, rate, and payout
• Verify the HUID on hallmarked pieces using the BIS Care app before a high-value purchase

Common Myths About KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 Gold

A few persistent myths cloud the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold conversation. Clearing them up helps you shop and sell with confidence:

• Myth: "KDM gold is purer than 916." — False. KDM refers to the soldering method, not purity; KDM jewellery was often 22K anyway, and it is now banned regardless.
• Myth: "A 916 stamp is the same as a hallmark." — False. 916 is a purity claim; the BIS hallmark with a HUID is the independent certification that proves it.
• Myth: "Hallmarked gold is more expensive to sell." — False. At resale, purity and weight set the value; the hallmark just makes purity easy to confirm.
• Myth: "Old KDM jewellery is worthless now." — False. The gold content is real and fully valuable; it is simply tested by XRF at the time of sale.
• Myth: "You cannot sell non-hallmarked gold." — False. XRF reads true purity, so unmarked gold sells at full value.

The single most useful takeaway from the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold debate is this: when buying, demand BIS hallmarked 916 gold; when selling, demand a scientific XRF test. Both protect you from paying too much or being paid too little.

How Auriksha Values KDM, Hallmark, and 916 Gold

At Auriksha in Durgapur, we routinely buy every variety in the KDM vs Hallmark vs 916 gold spectrum — old cadmium-soldered KDM pieces, modern BIS hallmarked ornaments, plain 916 jewellery, and unmarked inherited gold. Each item is tested on the same non-destructive XRF spectrometer, valued at the same live MCX rate, and charged the same fixed 2% margin. The label your jewellery carries never changes the formula — only its real, measured gold content does.

Read: How to Tell If Gold Is Real at Home →

Read: How to Check Gold Purity at Home in Durgapur →

Service: Old Gold Buyer in Durgapur — KDM & Hallmarked Accepted →