What Is 916 KDM Gold?
916 is a purity, not a brand: 916 parts of gold in every 1,000, which is 22 carat. The latest 916 gold rate in Nagercoil is the 22K rate. KDM is not a purity at all. It refers to cadmium soldering, a way of joining jewellery parts. A BIS hallmark certifies purity. Before paying for 22K gold, look for 22K916 and check the HUID in the BIS Care app.
Is 916 hallmark 22K or 24K?
22K. Carat measures gold out of 24 parts, fineness measures it out of 1,000. The BIS fineness mark for 22K gold is 916: 91.6% gold. The two numbers are the same fact in different units, which is why a hallmark carries both: the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) marks a 22-carat article "22K916".
The 24 carat grade is 99.5% or purer and carries its own mark, 24KS995. Pure gold is softer than the alloys used at 22K and below, and the 8.4% of a 916 piece that is not gold is what makes it hard enough to wear. Which purity to buy is a separate decision, because 22K and 24K gold suit different purchases.
| Mark | Carat | Gold content | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22K916 | 22 carat | 91.6% | The purity this site's rate is for. |
| 18K750 | 18 carat | 75.0% | Priced at its own rate, not a share of the 22K one. |
| 14K585 | 14 carat | 58.5% | Covered by mandatory hallmarking. |
| 24KS995 | 24 carat | 99.5% | Bullion purity; the 24K figure on this site is the national benchmark. |
| 9K375 | 9 carat | 37.5% | A voluntary grade under IS 1417:2016, outside mandatory hallmarking. |
Mandatory hallmarking covers six caratages: 14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 23K and 24KS. IS 1417:2016 also provides for 9K, a voluntary grade at 375 fineness, so a 9K piece may carry a hallmark although hallmarking is not compulsory for it. The 24K figure on this site is a national benchmark for 999 fine gold, which is a bar and coin price rather than a jewellery rate.
What does KDM mean when buying gold?
KDM describes a soldering method; 916 describes gold content. The two terms cannot certify the same thing. For your purchase, check the marked purity and HUID. KDM is not printed on a current BIS hallmark, and no shop can point to a KDM certification, because there is no such thing.
916, KDM and BIS hallmark: the differences
Only the hallmark certifies anything, and only the HUID belongs to the piece in your hand. 916 describes the metal; KDM describes how it was joined.
Scroll across the table to read all four columns.
| Term | What it is | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|---|
| 916 / 22K | A purity, in fineness and carat. | 91.6% of the metal is gold. | Nothing about the workmanship, the making charge, or whether the claim has been tested. |
| KDM | A historical soldering practice, named after cadmium. | No verified purity or certification. Check the hallmark rather than relying on the name. | It is not a purity, not a grade and not a certification. Nothing is verified by the word itself. |
| BIS hallmark | A certification struck on the piece: the BIS logo, the purity in carat and fineness, and a six-character HUID. | That an assaying and hallmarking centre tested the article and found the marked fineness. | Nothing about price, making charges, the stones, or the shop's exchange terms. |
| HUID | The six-character code in the hallmark, introduced on 1 July 2021, unique to the article. | It identifies that specific piece, and checking it returns the registered jeweller's details. | It is an identifier, not a quality grade. Two pieces of the same purity have different HUIDs. |
How to check the hallmark on 916 gold
A current BIS hallmark carries three marks together. BIS-registered shops must display what those components are inside the shop, and must keep a magnifying glass of at least 10x and a balance accurate to 0.01 g available for customers, so you are entitled to look closely and to see the piece weighed.
- Find the mark before you pay.It is struck somewhere discreet: a clasp, the inside of a ring shank, the back of a pendant. Ask, and use the shop's magnifier.
- Read the fineness.For 22-carat gold it reads 22K916. If it reads 18K750 you are buying 18-carat, which has its own rate.
- Check the HUID in the BIS Care app.Its "Verify HUID" feature returns the article's details and the jeweller's registration. It is free, and it takes a moment at the counter.
- Get it on the bill.The invoice must describe the article, its net precious-metal weight, the purity in carat and fineness, and the hallmarking charge.
The marks sit in different places on different pieces, so before paying, check the hallmark and HUID against what the BIS Care app returns.
If a hallmarked piece later turns out to be less pure than its mark, BIS rules entitle the buyer to compensation of twice the difference in value, plus the testing charges. That right rests on the mark and the bill, which is the practical reason to check both before paying rather than after. A complaint about hallmarked jewellery goes to BIS through the BIS Care app, the Standard Promotion Portal on manakonline.in, or [email protected].
The HUID sale rule concerns hallmarked gold jewellery and artefacts: since 1 April 2023 these must carry a six-character HUID when sold. Mandatory hallmarking has exemptions, including articles weighing less than two grams, so a new purchase does not automatically carry a hallmark. A hallmarked piece you already own under an older scheme stays valid.
916 gold rate in Nagercoil: compare your quote per pavan
There is no separate purity called KDM. A shop quoting a 916 KDM rate is quoting its 22-carat rate. The latest 22K gold rate in Nagercoil is ₹14,010 per gram, ₹1,12,080 per pavan (8 grams), as on . That is the 916 rate.
Your jeweller's rate may differ. Making charges, any separately quoted wastage and GST are extra.
For a one-pavan purchase in Nagercoil, ask for the 22K rate per gram and the net gold weight on the quote. One pavan means 8 grams of the 22K alloy, not 8 grams of pure gold. If the piece has stones, check their weight and price separately.
To compare two quotes, check the purity on the hallmark, the net gold weight and the quoted per-gram rate. Matching purity and weight alone does not establish equal gold value: the quoted rates must match too. Then compare stone prices, making charges, any separately quoted wastage, other charges and tax as separate bill lines.
What to ask at a Nagercoil jewellery counter
- "Can I see the hallmark, and may I use your magnifier?" The components and the glass are meant to be available in the shop.
- "What is the HUID on this piece?" Then check it yourself in the BIS Care app before paying.
- "Is this weight the gross weight or the net gold weight?" Stones and other non-gold parts are not gold, and should not be priced as if they were.
- "What is the making charge, and on what basis?" A percentage of the gold value and a rupees-per-gram quote produce different bills on the same piece.
- "Will the bill show the purity, the net weight and the hallmarking charge?" It is required to, and the bill is what supports any later claim.