Hallmark and Purity Marks: How to Verify Real 925 Silver
Someone messaged us once: "the seller told me it's 925 silver but there's no stamp anywhere on it should I trust it?" The answer is no, and here's why that stamp matters more than most people realise, and how to actually read one when you find it.
Most people who buy 925 sterling silver jewellery know to look for the "925" mark but aren't sure what it actually tells them, what other marks appear alongside it, or what to do when the stamp is too small to read clearly. This post covers all of that the Indian hallmarking system, what each mark means, where to physically look for it, and a few at-home checks for when you're still not sure.
What the 925 stamp actually means
925 is a fineness number it means the metal is 92.5% pure silver by weight. The remaining 7.5% is alloy, usually copper, added because pure silver alone is too soft for daily-wear jewellery. It bends, scratches, and loses its shape under normal use. The 7.5% is what makes a ring stay round and a bracelet hold its structure.
You might also see this written as "S925", ".925", or "Sterling" all mean the same purity. "Sterling" without a number is the older, British-origin term for this exact standard, still used on some imported pieces. If a piece says any of these, the claimed purity is identical.
What you should not accept as proof of purity: the word "silver" alone, "silver-toned", "silver-coloured", or "silver-plated." These describe appearance, not metal composition. A nickel bracelet with a thin silver coating looks identical in photos to genuine 925 silver, costs a fraction of the price to make, and causes skin reactions that sterling silver does not.
The BIS hallmarking system in India
India's official hallmarking authority is the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Since 2021, BIS hallmarking has been mandatory for gold jewellery sold in India silver is not yet mandatory under the same scheme, but reputable silver jewellers still voluntarily follow the hallmarking standard for silver, which uses the same BIS framework.
A full BIS hallmark on silver jewellery typically contains three elements:
The BIS logo a small triangle with "BIS" inside it, or just the BIS mark. This tells you the piece was tested and certified by a BIS-recognised assaying centre rather than self-certified by the seller.
The fineness mark "925" for sterling silver, or "999" for fine silver (rare in jewellery, more common in silver coins and bars). The number alone tells you the purity. Seeing "925" without the BIS mark means the purity is self-declared by the manufacturer, not independently verified.
The Hallmarking Unique ID (HUID) a six-character alphanumeric code introduced in 2021 for gold and increasingly appearing on silver pieces too. This code is unique to each individual piece and can be verified on the BIS Care app or website. If your piece has an HUID, you can look it up and confirm it matches the claimed purity.
Where to physically look for the stamp
The stamp is small 1–2mm on most jewellery and often placed somewhere that doesn't disrupt the design. Knowing where to look saves you from assuming a piece has no mark when it's actually just in an unexpected spot.
Rings: inside the band, usually toward the bottom of the inner curve. Turn the ring under good light and look straight at the inner surface.
Earrings: on the post or butterfly back. If it's a larger stud or drop earring, sometimes on the flat inner face of the setting itself.
Bracelets: near the clasp, or on the inside surface of one of the links close to the clasp end. This is the least disruptive location from a design standpoint, which is why most manufacturers use it.
Pendant chains: on the chain near the clasp, or on the back of the pendant setting itself. On a small pendant, the mark might be on the bail the loop at the top that connects pendant to chain.
If you genuinely can't find it with the naked eye, use your phone's camera in macro mode rather than a magnifying glass phone cameras on modern devices are sharper at close range and show the mark clearly even at 1mm.
At-home checks when you're still not sure
These aren't substitutes for a proper assay, but they help in situations where you're checking a second-hand piece or something bought without documentation.
The magnet test real silver is non-magnetic. Hold a strong magnet near the piece. If it pulls noticeably, the piece is iron or steel with a coating, not silver. If there's no attraction, that's consistent with genuine silver though not proof of it, since other non-magnetic metals also exist.
The ice test silver has the highest thermal conductivity of any common metal. If you place a piece of silver on an ice cube, the ice begins melting faster than it would with other metals. It's not a definitive test but it's surprisingly consistent at distinguishing real silver from most alloy imitations.
The cloth test rub the piece firmly with a clean white cloth. Genuine silver leaves a slight black tarnish mark on the cloth due to the natural oxidation on the surface. A piece that leaves no mark at all may have a coating rather than solid silver underneath. This test doesn't work on brand-new, heavily polished pieces where oxidation hasn't begun.
The acid test the most reliable home method. A small drop of nitric acid on the metal turns cream/white on genuine sterling silver and green on base metal alloys. Acid test kits are available from jewellery supply shops. Only use this on an inconspicuous spot, since it leaves a tiny mark.
What rose gold silver actually is and why the hallmark looks different
Rose gold silver pieces which make up a large portion of modern jewellery including many pieces in our range have the same 925 sterling silver base as plain silver. The rose gold colour is a surface plating applied over the silver, not a different metal entirely. The 925 stamp refers to the base metal, not the finish.
This is why a rose gold piece can legitimately be stamped 925 it is 925 silver, just with a warm surface treatment. If a listing claims "rose gold 925 silver" it's accurate. If it claims "solid rose gold" without mentioning silver underneath, that's a different (and much more expensive) metal, and the stamp would reflect that difference.
What this means when buying online
You can't physically check a stamp before buying online, so you're relying on the seller's claims and product photos. Some things to look for: the product title and description should explicitly state "925 sterling silver" with the number, not just the word "silver." Product images that show the stamp on the actual piece are a stronger signal than ones that only show the jewellery itself. And a brand that shows you the hallmark in the product photos has less incentive to misrepresent the metal than one that doesn't mention it.
We cover this in more depth in our guide on how to identify real 925 silver before buying online, which goes into what to check specifically in a product listing before you add to cart.
And if you want an honest look at whether Zilgi itself meets these standards, we've written a straightforward real or fake review of Zilgi jewellery worth reading if you're new to the brand.
Browse our full range of verified 925 sterling silver jewellery, including rings, earrings, pendant chains, and bracelets.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does the 925 stamp on silver jewellery mean?
It means the piece contains 92.5% pure silver by weight. It's the international standard for sterling silver and is the same whether written as "925", "S925", ".925", or "Sterling."
2. Is BIS hallmarking mandatory for silver jewellery in India?
Not yet mandatory BIS hallmarking currently applies to gold, not silver. However, reputable silver jewellers voluntarily follow BIS hallmarking standards, and a BIS mark on silver is a stronger authenticity signal than a self-declared stamp alone.
3. What is an HUID and how do I verify it?
HUID stands for Hallmarking Unique ID a six-character alphanumeric code assigned to individually hallmarked pieces. You can verify it on the BIS Care app or the BIS website by entering the code, which shows the registered purity of that specific piece.
4. What's the easiest at-home test for genuine silver?
The magnet test is the quickest real silver has no magnetic attraction. It won't confirm 925 purity on its own, but it immediately rules out iron or steel fakes, which is the most common form of low-quality imitation.
5. My rose gold piece is stamped 925 is that correct?
Yes. Rose gold silver jewellery has a genuine 925 sterling silver base with a rose gold surface plating. The 925 stamp refers to the base metal, not the finish colour, so the stamp is accurate and expected.
