etzee

How jewellery and watches are assessed

There is no condition grade. There is a hallmark, a laboratory report and a service history — three different things.

The Metzee team14 Oct 20261 min read

Nobody grades jewellery condition on a scale. What this trade has instead is three separate kinds of evidence, and confusing them is where sellers get into trouble.

1. The hallmark is about purity, not condition

Gold jewellery sold in India is covered by BIS hallmarking: a hallmarked piece carries the BIS mark, the purity in karat and fineness, and a six-character HUID. That tells a buyer what the metal is. It says nothing about whether the clasp works. Selling jewellery.

2. A laboratory report is about the stone

And it is worth exactly the reputation of the laboratory that issued it. "Untested" is a legitimate, common and perfectly sellable state — it simply has to be said.

3. Service history is about the watch

When it was last serviced, by whom, and what was done. There is no condition grade for a watch; there is whether it runs, what is original, and what has been replaced.

So what do you write?

Specifics, in a fixed order: metal and mark, weight, structure (worn shank, thin spots, clasp), stones (present, loose, chipped, missing), repairs (resizing, soldering, replaced clasp), and what you cleaned. Describing condition.

The word that is not a grade

"Genuine." It is a guarantee rather than a description, and about a stone you have not had tested it is one you cannot support.

Questions people ask

Is a hallmark a condition grade?

No. It is a statement about purity.

Does a BIS mark guarantee the piece is undamaged?

Not at all. They answer different questions.

Can I sell unhallmarked gold?

Yes, described as unhallmarked, at unhallmarked prices.

More: buying jewellery, what it is worth.

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