Twenty-two carat gold — stamped 916 in modern hallmarking practice — is an alloy comprising 916.6 parts per thousand of pure gold, with the remaining 83.4 parts composed of alloying metals, typically silver, copper, or a combination of both. Expressed as a fraction, this is 22 parts gold to 2 parts base metal in every 24 parts by weight. The resulting material occupies a distinctive position in the global jewellery trade: it is rich enough in gold content to display the deep, saturated yellow associated with high-purity metal, yet sufficiently alloyed to be workable by a skilled goldsmith. It is the dominant fineness for bridal and ceremonial jewellery across India, the Middle East, and much of Southeast Asia, and it remains the traditional standard for British wedding rings — a distinction it has held, under various regulatory frameworks, since the sixteenth century.

Composition and Physical Properties

The precise colour and hardness of a 22ct alloy depend on the nature and proportion of the alloying metals. When the 83.4 parts per thousand consists predominantly of silver, the resulting alloy tends toward a slightly greenish or pale yellow. Copper additions shift the colour toward a warmer, more orange-tinged gold. In practice, most commercial 22ct alloys intended for the South Asian and Middle Eastern markets are formulated with a balance of silver and copper that produces the characteristic rich yellow consumers in those regions expect.

In terms of hardness, 22ct gold sits well below the 18ct and 14ct alloys commonly used in Western fine jewellery. Vickers hardness values for annealed 22ct gold typically fall in the range of 50–70 HV, compared with 120–200 HV for many 18ct alloys. This relative softness means that 22ct gold is poorly suited to settings that rely on thin prongs or delicate millegrain borders, and it is rarely used for rings or bracelets intended for continuous daily wear in high-abrasion conditions. Its malleability is, however, an asset in certain traditional techniques — notably the repoussé and chasing work characteristic of Indian temple jewellery, and the fine granulation seen in some Gulf-region pieces.

The melting range of 22ct gold alloys is approximately 905–940 °C, varying with alloy composition. Density is approximately 17.7–17.9 g/cm³, reflecting the high gold content.

Hallmarking: The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has one of the oldest continuous hallmarking traditions in the world, administered today by four Assay Offices: the London Assay Office (Goldsmiths' Hall), the Birmingham Assay Office, the Sheffield Assay Office, and the Edinburgh Assay Office. The legal recognition of 22ct gold as a standard fineness in England dates to 1576, when it was established by statute as the standard for gold wares — a position it held as the sole legal gold standard for centuries before lower caratages were admitted.

Under the current UK Hallmarking Act 1973 (as amended), a complete UK hallmark on 22ct gold comprises four compulsory marks:

• Sponsor's mark — the registered mark of the maker or importer responsible for the article.
• Metal and fineness mark — for 22ct gold, a crown symbol accompanied by the millesimal figure 916, enclosed in a shield of prescribed shape.
• Assay Office mark — a leopard's head (London), an anchor (Birmingham), a rose (Sheffield), or a castle (Edinburgh).
• Date letter — an alphabetical letter denoting the year of hallmarking, though date letters became optional for articles assayed after January 2020 under amendments to the Act.

The crown and 916 combination is immediately recognisable to anyone familiar with British jewellery and remains the most visible indicator that a piece meets the 22ct standard. Imported articles sold in the UK must also be hallmarked by a recognised UK or Convention Assay Office; the Common Control Mark (CCM) used under the Vienna Convention on the Control of the Fineness and Hallmarking of Precious Metal Objects is also accepted.

The Indian Market and BIS Hallmarking

India is the world's second-largest consumer of gold by volume, and 22ct gold accounts for the overwhelming majority of jewellery purchased there. The preference is deeply embedded in cultural practice: 22ct gold is the standard for streedhan (a bride's personal wealth in jewellery), for temple offerings, and for the gold coins and bars given at festivals such as Diwali and Dhanteras. The colour and weight of 22ct gold are understood by Indian consumers as proxies for intrinsic value in a way that lower-fineness alloys are not.

Hallmarking in India is governed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under the BIS Act 2016, with gold hallmarking made mandatory in a phased rollout beginning in June 2021. The BIS hallmark for 22ct gold carries the following elements:

• The BIS logo (a triangular mark).
• The fineness figure — 916 for 22ct gold.
• The Assay Centre's identification mark.
• A six-digit alphanumeric HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) number, introduced in 2021 to enable traceability through a government database.

The HUID system represents a significant modernisation of Indian hallmarking, allowing consumers and regulators to verify the authenticity of a hallmark by scanning the number against the BIS Care app. Prior to mandatory hallmarking, under-caratage — the sale of gold jewellery at a stated fineness higher than its actual composition — was a documented problem in parts of the Indian retail market. Mandatory BIS hallmarking has substantially reduced this practice in regulated channels.

The Middle East and Other Markets

Across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman — 22ct gold jewellery is the dominant retail product, particularly in the traditional souq trade. Dubai's Gold Souk, one of the largest gold retail concentrations in the world, trades primarily in 22ct pieces, with 21ct and 18ct also present. Pricing in these markets is typically calculated by weight against the daily gold spot price, with a making charge (fabrication premium) added separately — a pricing convention that reflects the investment as well as decorative function of the jewellery.

In Southeast Asia, 22ct gold is prevalent in the jewellery traditions of Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia, where it is often sold in forms — chains, bangles, and flat-worked pendants — that emphasise gold content over gemstone setting.

Design Considerations and Limitations

The softness of 22ct gold imposes genuine constraints on design. Stone-set jewellery in 22ct gold is technically possible — Indian bridal sets frequently feature diamonds, rubies, and emeralds set in 22ct mounts — but the settings must be designed with this softness in mind. Bezel settings and thick collet mounts are preferred over thin claw settings. High-wear items such as eternity rings or pavé-set bands are generally not recommended in 22ct gold for consumers who intend to wear them continuously.

Conversely, the fineness is an advantage in certain contexts. The high gold content means that 22ct pieces are more resistant to tarnish and skin discolouration than lower-carat alloys, and the colour is considered by many consumers in traditional markets to be aesthetically superior to the paler appearance of 18ct or 14ct gold. For investment-oriented buyers, the closer proximity to 24ct fine gold is a meaningful consideration.

In the Trade

In the Western wholesale and retail trade, 22ct gold occupies a somewhat specialised position. It is routinely stocked by jewellers serving South Asian, Middle Eastern, and East African diaspora communities in the United Kingdom, North America, and Australia. Outside these communities, it is less commonly encountered in Western high-street jewellery, where 18ct and 9ct are the dominant standards. Auction houses handling estate jewellery from British collections will regularly encounter 22ct wedding bands, particularly pieces dating from before the mid-twentieth century when 18ct became more widely used for wedding rings in the UK.

The premium of 22ct over 18ct gold is straightforwardly a function of gold content: a 22ct piece contains approximately 52 per cent more gold by weight than an 18ct piece of the same mass. This differential is reflected directly in retail pricing and is one reason why 22ct jewellery is treated as a near-liquid asset in markets where gold jewellery functions as a store of value.

Further Reading

• World Gold Council — Gold Jewellery Market Research
• The Assay Office Birmingham — What Is Hallmarking?
• Bureau of Indian Standards — Hallmarking