How to Identify Fake Jewellery: A Buyer's Guide

TL;DR

The majority of jewellery complaints in India do not involve dramatic fraud: they involve misrepresentation that exploits gaps in the buyer's knowledge. A piece described as gold turns out to be gold-plated. Silver claimed to be sterling is actually nickel alloy. Natural gemstones are synthetic glass. Handmade labels cover machine-stamped pieces. None of this is hard to spot once you know what to look for.

Testing for Real Gold vs Gold-Plated or Gold-Filled

Real gold jewellery sold in India is hallmarked by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). From 2022, BIS hallmarking is mandatory for gold jewellery sold by registered jewellers. A genuine BIS hallmark consists of three symbols: the BIS logo, the purity (916 for 22 karat, 750 for 18 karat, 585 for 14 karat), and a six-digit alphanumeric Hallmarking Unique ID (HUID).

• Check for the hallmark stamp: use a magnifying glass. Genuine hallmarks are precise and contain all three elements. Fake hallmarks are blurry, incomplete, or use incorrect format.
• Price test: 22-karat gold costs approximately ₹5,000 to ₹7,000 per gram (varies with market rate). Gold jewellery below this price per gram is not solid gold. Fashion jewellery priced as gold at fashion prices is gold-plated, not gold.
• Acid test: a jeweller can perform a nitric acid test to verify gold purity. Real gold resists the acid; base metals react and discolour.

Testing for Real Silver vs Fake

Sterling silver (925 silver) sold in India should be hallmarked by BIS with the 925 stamp. Unlike gold, silver hallmarking has been less strictly enforced, so hallmarks are present on some pieces and absent on others even for genuine silver. Additional tests:

• Magnet test: silver is not magnetic. If a piece claiming to be silver is attracted to a strong magnet, it contains iron or steel (often cheap white metal or stainless steel sold as silver). Note: the magnet test does not confirm silver; it only eliminates magnetic metals.
• Ice test: silver has the highest thermal conductivity of all metals. An ice cube placed on a silver surface melts faster than on other metals. This is a rough test, not definitive.
• Tarnish test: genuine sterling silver tarnishes to a grey-black over time with a specific pattern. Nickel alloy (German silver, sold as silver) also tarnishes but differently, and often more rapidly.
• Look for 925 stamp: even without full BIS hallmarking, genuine sterling silver pieces typically carry a 925 or .925 stamp somewhere on the piece.

Testing for Natural Gemstones vs Synthetic or Glass

Natural gemstones are significantly more expensive than synthetic versions (lab-created stones with the same chemical composition) or glass imitations. The most important distinction is natural vs synthetic, not natural vs fake: synthetic stones are real in composition but grown in a lab.

• Inclusions: natural gemstones almost always have inclusions (internal features) visible under a 10x loupe. Perfect stones without any inclusions are either synthetic or glass, unless you are looking at a very expensive flawless natural stone.
• Temperature: genuine stones (except synthetic stones) feel cool to the touch because they conduct heat differently from glass. Glass and plastic warm to body temperature quickly; real stones remain cool longer.
• Bubbles: glass imitations often contain tiny air bubbles visible under magnification. Natural stones do not have air bubbles.
• Price calibration: a large natural ruby, emerald, or sapphire with good colour and clarity costs lakhs to crores of rupees per carat. If a coloured stone set jewellery piece is priced in the hundreds, the stones are glass or synthetic, not natural.

Identifying Genuine Handmade vs Machine-Made

This is the most nuanced category because the distinction is not between real and fake materials, but between described and actual process.

• Consistent variation: genuinely handmade pieces show small variations in surface texture, edge quality, and proportions. Machine-made pieces are perfectly uniform. Two pieces from the same handmade batch should be very similar but not identical.
• Tool marks: handmade metalwork shows file marks, hammer marks, and the natural progression of hand-working. These are typically visible at edges and on less-finished surfaces. Machine-stamped pieces have perfectly smooth, consistent surfaces everywhere.
• Weight consistency: machine-made hollow pieces are very light and consistent in weight. Handmade solid pieces vary slightly because filling and construction are done by hand.
• Ask the seller: a genuinely handmade label should be able to name the technique (forging, casting, repoussé), the location of production, and ideally the artisan or workshop. Vague answers about handmade process are a red flag.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if gold jewellery is real in India?

Check for the BIS hallmark stamp containing the BIS logo, purity (916, 750, or 585), and the six-digit HUID number. Use a magnifying glass. Verify the price is consistent with current gold rates for the weight claimed. If in doubt, ask the seller for the hallmark certificate and request an acid test from an independent jeweller.

What is German silver and is it real silver?

German silver (also called white metal, nickel silver, or alpaca) is a nickel-copper-zinc alloy. It contains no silver at all. Despite the name, it is not silver. It is used in fashion jewellery and traditional craft jewellery (including some tribal pieces) as an affordable silver-coloured material. It is not fraudulent when sold as German silver, but it is misrepresented when sold as silver.

Are synthetic gemstones fake?

Synthetic gemstones have the same chemical composition as natural stones but are grown in a laboratory rather than mined. They are not fake: they are real rubies, emeralds, or sapphires by chemistry. They are different from glass imitations, which have no relation to natural stone chemistry. The distinction matters because synthetic stones are significantly less expensive than natural stones and should be priced accordingly.

How can I tell if jewellery is brass or gold?

Look for the BIS hallmark (present on genuine gold, absent on brass). Examine the colour: brass has a slightly warmer, more orange-yellow tone than gold. Check for signs of plating wear at edges: if the surface is darker or different in colour at worn points, the piece is plated. Brass is not a problem material, but it should be sold honestly as brass or gold-plated brass, not as gold.

Conclusion

The most effective protection against jewellery misrepresentation is knowing what you are buying and what it should cost. A piece that is clearly described, realistically priced, and sold by a seller with a traceable history and a return policy is almost never a fraud. The misrepresentation happens in the gap between what buyers do not know and what sellers do not say. Close that gap. At KANSYA, all pieces state their base metal (brass), plating type (rhodium or gold plated), and making process explicitly. Explore our handcrafted jewellery collection, where you always know what you are buying.