What 916 Gold Means, and How to Read UAE Gold Hallmarks

916 is the fineness mark of 22 karat gold: 916 parts of pure gold in every 1 000 parts of metal, or 91.6%. UAE federal law sets seven legal fineness standards for gold jewellery, from 999 for 24 karat down to 500 for 12 karat, and forbids selling a gold article that carries neither the official hallmark nor a recognised foreign one.¹ This guide shows how to read the numbers and symbols on a piece bought in the UAE, and what to ask when a piece has no stamp.

7

legal fineness standards for gold jewellery in UAE law

916

the fineness mark of 22 karat gold

3 parts

in the official UAE hallmark: metal, purity, hallmarking body

1 g

gold articles lighter than this are exempt from hallmarking

What 916 gold means

Karat is the measure of gold content. The Dubai Jewellery Group (DJG) explains it in 24 parts: 24 karat gold is 24 parts pure gold, and 22 karat gold is 22 parts gold with 2 parts of other metals added as alloy.⁴ Fineness says the same thing per thousand. 22 divided by 24 and multiplied by 1 000 gives 916.67; DJG writes it as .9166, and UAE law lists 22 karat gold with a fineness of 916.¹⁴

So 916 gold is simply 22 karat gold. It is not a brand, a separate grade or a quality level above 22K. The same logic gives 875 for 21 karat and 750 for 18 karat.⁴

Why jewellery is rarely 24 karat

Pure gold is too soft for most jewellery, so 24 karat gold is commonly sold as coins and bars. Dubai jewellers commonly use 22 karat gold for chains, bangles and plain rings, and the more durable 18 karat gold for diamond rings and other stone-set pieces.⁷ White, rose and green gold are made by changing the other metals in the alloy, so the colour does not tell you the karat; DJG adds that a colour applied by electroplating is only a surface finish and wears off.⁴

UAE fineness numbers and karats

Article 2 of Federal Law No. (11) of 2015 lists the legal standards of fineness for gold jewellery. The law is in force: the UAE legislation portal shows it as active, effective from 16 May 2016.¹

Fineness mark	Karat	Share of pure gold
999	24K	99.9%
916	22K	91.6%
875	21K	87.5%
750	18K	75%
666	16K	66.6%
583	14K	58.3%
500	12K	50%

The same article sets the standards for the other precious metals: 999, 925, 835, 830 and 800 for silver, and 999, 950, 900 and 850 for platinum.¹ So 925 on a ring means silver, not gold.

Foreign marks: 585, 375 and "916 KDM"

Pieces made abroad can carry other numbers. Under the international Hallmarking Convention, the recognised gold finenesses are 375, 585, 750, 916 and 999, Assay Office London says.⁹ So a 14 karat piece with a Convention mark reads 585, while UAE law lists 583 for 14 karat, and 375 (9 karat) is below the lowest UAE gold standard of 500.¹ Which foreign hallmarks count in the UAE is set by a ministerial resolution recognising the official hallmarks of foreign states; we did not find it published.¹

"916 KDM" is a phrase people search for, but KDM is not a hallmark: the word does not appear in the UAE law, its Executive Regulations or the DJG pages we read.¹² Judge a piece by its fineness number and the official marks, not by the word KDM.

How to read an official UAE hallmark

The law defines hallmarking as stamping precious metals with a mark of their type, legal fineness and purity. The official hallmark has three elements: a mark for the type of metal, the fineness, and a shape approved by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) that identifies the hallmarking body.¹ Annex 3 of the Executive Regulations describes each one:³

Purity mark

One of the legal fineness numbers inside a rectangle with rounded corners, for example 916 for 22 karat.³

Metal mark

A rectangle with rounded corners and a drawing of the metal type: a falcon for gold, a castle for silver and a palm tree for platinum.³

Hallmarking body mark

The registered symbol of the body that applied the hallmark, in a rectangle with rounded corners.³

The annex gives the purity and metal marks sizes of 0.5 mm, 1 mm and 1.5 mm, so they are small: look on the inside of a ring or on the clasp of a chain, in good light.³ DJG's advice to shoppers is to check all of it: the symbols, the purity mark and the product information.⁵

The hallmark ensures the gold is genuine and matches the declared purity.

Dubai Jewellery Group, Know your rights

DJG also says that all jewellery sold in the UAE carries a mandatory quality assurance mark by MoIAT.⁶ Only bodies accredited or registered with the Ministry may hallmark precious metals.¹

When a piece has no hallmark

DJG states that every gold jewellery item must carry an official hallmark or tags issued under UAE standards.⁵ The law explains when the tag replaces the stamp, and which items are outside the rule:

• Too small to stamp. If there is not enough space on an article for the hallmark, it must come with an identification card.¹ The regulations require the card to be clear, not removable and made of a durable material.²
• Lighter than 1 gram. Gold and platinum articles weighing less than one gram, and silver articles under five grams, are not covered by the hallmarking rules.¹
• Other exemptions. Antiques of historical and artistic value, coins that no longer have exchange value, and metal fit only for melting and recycling are also outside the rule.¹
• A foreign hallmark. A piece may be sold with a foreign hallmark recognised by the Ministry instead of the UAE one.¹ We did not find the list of recognised foreign hallmarks on an official page, so ask the shop which mark the piece carries and keep that on the invoice.

Pieces with stones

A gold piece set with stones must come with an identification card or a certificate for the stones.¹ A certificate is required when the piece contains a polished diamond of 0.5 carat or more, a coloured precious stone of 2 carats or more, or a pearl of 10 mm or more.² Diamond jewellery is usually made in 18 karat white or yellow gold, DJG says, so expect 750 rather than 916 on it.⁴

What the law says about selling without a hallmark

The law forbids selling, offering for sale or holding for sale any wrought gold article without the official or a recognised foreign hallmark.¹ The penalties are set in the same law:

• Trading in unhallmarked articles: imprisonment of one to two years and/or a fine of AED 250,000 to AED 500,000.¹
• Counterfeit hallmarks, or changing an article after hallmarking so that it no longer matches the stamped fineness: imprisonment of no less than two years and/or a fine of AED 500,000 to AED 1,000,000.¹

If a piece in a Dubai shop has no hallmark and no tag, or the invoice does not match the mark, DJG gives the Dubai Consumer Protection number for complaints: 600545555.⁵

916 gold rate in Dubai today

DJG publishes a separate suggested retail price per gram for 24K, 22K, 21K, 18K and 14K gold every day.⁸ There is no separate 916 line: the 916 gold rate is the 22K rate. The fineness in the hallmark tells you which of these rates applies to your piece. Today's rates by weight:

Karat	1 g, AED	10 g, AED	50 g, AED
24K 999	468.00	4,680.00	23,400.00
22K 916	433.50	4,335.00	21,675.00
21K 875	415.50	4,155.00	20,775.00
18K 750	356.25	3,562.50	17,812.50

Each karat has its own page, for example the 22K gold rate today and the 18K gold rate today. To value a piece, enter its weight and karat in the gold price calculator. The price of a new piece also includes the shop's making charge, which the hallmark does not show; see gold making charges in Dubai. For worked examples by piece, see the 22K and 18K ring prices and gold bangle prices by weight.

Before you pay

• Find all three parts of the hallmark: the fineness number, the falcon for gold and the hallmarking body's mark, or a tag for a small piece.³
• Check that the karat on the invoice matches the fineness number on the piece.
• Ask for an itemised invoice with the jeweller's stamp.⁵
• Ask for the digital authentication certificate. Visit Dubai says Dubai gold dealers must provide it on request, and that it gives the karats, the weight of gold, the weight of the stones and the cost of the labour.⁷
• For a stone-set piece, ask for the stone certificate or identification card.²

A hallmark is a legal declaration, not a test you do yourself. If you want the purity measured, read how to check gold purity in the UAE. To buy, see the shops of the Gold Souk in Deira.