916 Gold Meaning

Why 22 karat is written as 916

Karat divides gold into 24 parts. Twenty-two parts out of 24 is 22 ÷ 24 = 0.91666..., or 91.67%. Jewellery fineness is written in parts per thousand, rounded down, so 22K becomes 916. In practice this means a 10-gram 22K bangle contains at least 10 × 0.916 = 9.16 g of pure gold. The same system gives 750 for 18K, 585 for 14K and 999 for 24K; see the karat guide for the full table.

What "916 KDM" meant, and why it no longer matters

Jewellery is assembled from parts joined with solder. Traditionally the solder was a lower-purity gold alloy, which melts at a lower temperature than the 22K parts. The trouble is that the solder dilutes the finished piece. Suppose a 20 g necklace is made of 19 g of 22K parts and 1 g of 18K solder:

• Gold in the parts: 19 × 0.916 = 17.404 g
• Gold in the solder: 1 × 0.75 = 0.75 g
• Overall purity: 18.154 ÷ 20 = 90.77%, below the 91.6% the buyer paid for

Many Indian goldsmiths later switched to a solder of gold alloyed with cadmium, which melts low but can be made at high gold content, so the piece stays close to 916. "KDM" (from cadmium) became a selling term for 22K jewellery made this way, and "916 KDM" was stamped or advertised widely.

Cadmium fumes are toxic, and goldsmiths who worked with it faced serious health risks. Its use has been discouraged and largely replaced by cadmium-free solders that also reach 22K purity. More importantly for buyers, "KDM" only ever described the solder. It was never a purity certification. Today, purity in India is guaranteed by the BIS hallmark, not by a KDM stamp.

The BIS 22K916 hallmark

Since hallmarking became compulsory in 2021, 22K jewellery sold by registered jewellers in covered districts must carry three marks:

1. The BIS standard mark (a triangle logo).
2. The purity grade, shown as 22K916.
3. A six-character alphanumeric HUID unique to that piece.

You can check the HUID in the BIS CARE app, which shows the purity, article type and the jeweller and hallmarking centre that tested it. Details are in our BIS hallmark and HUID guide.

How to read older 916 jewellery

• "916" alone, no BIS logo: a jeweller's own claim. It may be accurate, but it has not been independently assayed.
• BIS logo, 916, a centre mark and a jeweller's mark (no HUID): an older genuine hallmark from before July 2021. These remain valid; you do not need to re-hallmark jewellery you own.
• "KDM" or "916 KDM" only: a description of solder, not a test result.

If you want certainty about an older piece, many BIS-recognised assaying and hallmarking centres will test consumer jewellery for a fee. A jeweller's touchstone or XRF test before an exchange gives a quick reading too; see how to check gold purity.

916 compared with other purities

916 outside India

The 916 mark is international. British gold sovereigns are struck in 22K (strictly 916.7 fine), the UK assay offices hallmark 22K as 916, and 22K jewellery sold in Malaysia, Singapore and the Gulf is commonly stamped 916. Because the standard is the same, a genuine 916 piece bought abroad is tested and valued in India like domestic 22K, though an Indian jeweller may still test it before an exchange.

Pricing 916 gold

Jewellers in India publish a 22K board rate per gram. It is close to 91.6% of the 24K rate, though some jewellers' boards round differently. Suppose the 24K rate is ₹13,400 per gram (illustrative): the 22K value is ₹13,400 × 0.916 = ₹12,274.40 per gram. A 15 g chain then carries gold worth 15 × ₹12,274.40 = ₹1,84,116, before making charges and 3% GST. The jewellery price calculator adds those, and the live figure is on the 22K gold price page.

When you sell or exchange 916 jewellery, the buyer tests it and pays the 22K rate (or the 24K rate × 0.916) minus a deduction. Hallmarked pieces with a verifiable HUID are easier to sell at a fair value.