In recent times, gold consumption has continued to be hot. Whether it is jewelry for daily wear or gold bars used to store value, it has become a popular choice for many families. However, when many consumers visit gold stores and buy gold jewelry, they encounter a particularly disturbing thing: if they want to know how many grams of gold jewelry they have, the store clerk is either vague, or says that they can only look at it after purchasing, or even hides or folds the label with the weight, so that consumers cannot see the core information clearly before paying.
In order to clarify the real situation, the reporter, as an ordinary consumer, visited many local chain gold stores and brand jewelry counters, and experienced the entire process of gold sales from street shops to shopping mall counters. After a round of visits, the reporter found that "hiding weight" has become a common practice in some gold stores. The right to know that consumers should enjoy has been quietly "hidden" by various means. Around March 15, 2026, market regulatory authorities in many places issued reminders and warnings one after another, clearly requiring that gold jewelry must clearly indicate the weight and must not conceal information, which brought this issue to the public.
1. On-site visit: How common is the routine of hiding weight in gold stores?
The reporter first walked into the chain jewelry counter of a large shopping mall in the city. The counter was filled with all kinds of gold jewelry, including traditional pure gold jewelry priced by the gram, as well as a large number of 3D hard gold and 5G gold jewelry marked with "fixed price." The two kinds of jewelry are placed together, with no obvious partition marks. Without looking carefully, you can't tell which one is sold by the gram and which one is sold by the piece.
The reporter picked up an exquisite gold pendant with a fixed price. On the label, only the conspicuous total price of 3,999 yuan was printed. The material and purity were written in the corner, and the word weight was nowhere to be found. The reporter asked the clerk on the spot: "How many grams does this pendant cost?" The clerk did not answer directly. Instead, he kept introducing the beautiful style, advanced technology, and resistance to deformation. He repeatedly emphasized that "the fixed-price jewelry is more exquisite and cost-effective."
The reporter repeatedly asked about the weight, and the clerk said vaguely: "About three or four grams. You have to open the label after payment to see the exact number." The reporter asked for on-site weighing, but the clerk refused directly: "We cannot weigh without payment. This is the rule of the store. Unpacking will affect secondary sales."
In another street gold shop, the reporter saw something even more outrageous. The label of the fixed-price gold jewelry is deliberately folded up, with a small plastic shell on the outside. Only the total price and brand name can be seen, and the weight, labor costs and other information are all folded inside. The font is as small as an ant. If you don't open the plastic package and flatten the label, you can't see it at all. The store clerk said bluntly: "Our fixed-price jewelry does not mark the weight. You can weigh it yourself when you buy it. You can rest assured that it is pure gold."
There are also some gold shops that play "word games" and only mention the "total price" and "process fee" without mentioning the unit price per gram and the actual weight. When consumers question whether the price is too high, store clerks use "brand premium" and "craftsmanship value" as excuses, deliberately weakening the weight value of gold itself, making consumers mistakenly believe that they are buying cost-effective jewelry. In fact, they spend a lot of money, but the weight of gold purchased is pitifully small.
Among the 12 gold stores visited by the reporter, 8 concealed the weight to varying degrees: either the labels were folded and covered, the fonts were extremely small, they refused to weigh on site and did not proactively inform them, or they reported vague amounts to mislead consumers. Only 4 brand gold stores strictly follow the regulations and display fixed-price and gram-priced jewelry in separate areas. The product name, material, purity, gram weight, total price, and labor cost are clearly marked on the label. The store staff will proactively inform the gram weight information and allow on-site re-weighing.
This current situation has caused many consumers to suffer. Some consumers reported that they spent more than 5,000 yuan to buy a fixed-price gold bracelet, but after going home and weighing it, they found that it only weighed more than 2 grams. The converted gold price per gram was far higher than the gold price of the day. They wanted to return or exchange the bracelet, but the merchant refused because "the jewelry has no quality problem." It is clear that the consumer's right to know has been violated, but in the end the consumer has to bear the loss himself. This is the reason why everyone has the biggest objection to the "hidden weight" behavior.
2. Fixed price ≠ hidden weight: The merchant’s excuse is simply untenable.
In the face of consumer doubts and regulatory requirements, some merchants will always use "fixed price" as an excuse, claiming that "jewelry sold by pieces does not need to be marked with a weight. This is industry practice." But in fact, such a statement has no legal basis at all. It is just an excuse for businesses to conceal information and seek higher profits.
First of all, whether gold jewelry is priced by the gram or sold at a fixed price per piece, the gram weight is the core information that determines the value of the product. The basis of gold's value is its weight and purity. Craftsmanship fees and brand premiums are just added value. Consumers have the right to know how many grams of gold they spent for their money. This is the most basic consumer common sense.
Secondly, national laws and regulations have long clearly stipulated that merchants must protect consumers’ right to know and fulfill their obligation to clearly mark prices. Article 8 of the "Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" stipulates that consumers have the right to know the true status of the goods they purchase and use, and have the right to require operators to provide important information such as specifications and main ingredients of the goods. Grammar is the core specification of gold jewelry, and merchants must truthfully inform them.
Article 13 of the "Price Law of the People's Republic of China" also clearly requires that operators should clearly mark the price of goods sold, indicating the product name, specifications, unit of measurement, price, etc. The price must be true and accurate, clear in writing, and eye-catching, and information must not be marked in a vague or hidden way. Even if it is a gold jewelry with a fixed price, the weight must be clearly marked, and the "fixed price" cannot be used as a shield to avoid the obligation to clearly mark the price.
From February to March 2026, market regulatory authorities in many places across the country issued the "Reminders and Warnings on Standardizing Gold Jewelry Business Behaviors", which set out more detailed and strict requirements for fixed-price gold jewelry: First, fixed-price and per-gram gold jewelry must be displayed in partitions and cabinets, and eye-catching signs must be set to distinguish pricing methods, and confusion is strictly prohibited; second, First, the product labels must be clear, complete, and eye-catching to indicate the weight, and must not deliberately conceal it by using small fonts, folding to cover, hiding the inside, etc.; third, the sales voucher must clearly state the weight, total price, labor costs and other information to ensure that the ticket is consistent; fourth, the merchant must proactively inform the pricing mechanism and after-sales exchange rules, and must not mislead consumers with vague propaganda.
Regulatory authorities in many places have also made it clear that businesses that do not mark the weight or conceal the weight information are infringements on consumers’ rights to know and fair transactions, and in serious cases constitute price fraud. Once verified, merchants will face penalties such as fines, orders for rectification, and suspension of business for rectification. During March 15, 2026, many gold stores were investigated and punished for concealing weight and irregularly marking prices. The fines ranged from thousands to tens of thousands of yuan.
In terms of industry practice, regular brand gold stores have always insisted on clearly marking the weight and actively informing the information. Concealing the weight is just a speculative behavior of a few unscrupulous merchants. These merchants rely on hiding information to prevent consumers from comparing prices, thereby earning high price differences, which not only harms the interests of consumers, but also disrupts the order of the entire gold consumption market.
3. The right to know is hidden: Where do consumers suffer the loss?
Many consumers think that they didn’t check the weight in advance and just bought it, so there is no need to be serious. But in fact, the right to know is hidden, and consumers suffer far greater losses than imagined, not only economic losses, but also more troubles in after-sales, trade-in and other aspects.
The most direct one is economic loss. The price of gold jewelry priced by the gram is "gold price of the day × gram weight + processing fee". The price is transparent, and it is clear where every penny is spent. After concealing the weight of fixed-price gold jewelry, merchants can set the price at will. The converted price per gram of gold is often 1.5 to 3 times the gold price on that day.
To give a simple example, the price of pure gold that day was 600 yuan/gram. A 5-gram gold pendant sold by the gram had a total price of just over 3,000 yuan. A one-price pendant with the same style was priced at 5,000 yuan by the merchant, but the actual weight was only 3 grams. The converted price per gram was more than 1,600 yuan. Consumers spent nearly 2,000 yuan more, but bought less gold. For ordinary families, the purpose of buying gold is to preserve its value and be practical, but in the end they end up wasting money and turning it into "spending money to buy craftsmanship", which completely violates the original intention of consumption.
Secondly, it is difficult to maintain rights after sales. Gold jewelry is a valuable commodity. Once it is opened after payment, it is difficult to return or exchange it without quality problems. If you don't see the weight clearly when purchasing, and when you get home and find that the weight is inconsistent and the price is inflated, then you go to the merchant to argue, the merchant will refuse to return or exchange on the grounds that "payment has been confirmed" and "the label is marked." Consumers do not retain evidence in advance and are often in a weak position when defending their rights. They either have to admit that they are unlucky or spend a lot of time and energy complaining and mediating.
There is also the trade-in pitfall. After buying gold jewelry, many consumers will want to trade in old jewelry for new ones, and the core basis for trade-in is the weight of the gold. If the exact weight is not known at the time of purchase, merchants can make a fuss about weighing, loss fees, and depreciation fees when replacing new ones, deliberately lowering the weight of old gold and overcharging, causing consumers to suffer losses again during the replacement process.
More importantly, the right to know is the basis of all consumer rights. Without the right to know, consumers will not be able to choose and compare products on their own, make correct consumption decisions, and the right to fair trade will be out of the question. Merchants concealing weight is essentially taking advantage of information asymmetry to allow consumers to passively consume without knowing it. This is a direct infringement of consumers' legitimate rights and interests.
4. Supervision is exerting its force: to rectify the seriousness of Tibetan crimes, the market is becoming more standardized
What is gratifying is that in the gold consumer market, regulatory authorities from the national to local levels have been working hard to address issues such as concealing weight and irregularly marked prices in the gold consumer market. In 2026, they will intensify rectification efforts to make the gold consumer market more and more standardized.
Before and after the International Consumer Rights Day on March 15, 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation organized a nationwide special inspection of the gold and jewelry market, focusing on investigating and punishing illegal activities such as concealing weight, false pricing, price fraud, and inaccurate measurement. Market supervision departments in various places acted simultaneously, going into shopping malls and gold stores to conduct on-site inspections, checking labeling, weighing and measurement, and zoning display conditions on-site, ordering rectifications on the spot for irregularities, and severely punishing violations of laws and regulations in accordance with the law.
During the special inspection, the regulatory authorities emphasized three core requirements: First, measuring instruments must be qualified. When weighing gold jewelry, it is important to use measuring instruments with a graduation value of no more than 0.001g, and the weighing deviation must not exceed 0.01g. It is strictly prohibited to use unqualified weighing instruments and falsify weighing data; secondly, , clearly marked prices must be in place, the weight of fixed-price gold jewelry must be clearly marked, and the fonts must not be folded, covered, or reduced. The two pricing methods must be placed in separate areas; thirdly, information disclosure must be proactive, and store employees must proactively inform the weight, labor costs, pricing mechanism, and after-sales rules, and must not avoid or mislead consumers.
In addition to offline inspections, online gold sales are also included in the scope of supervision. Gold and jewelry stores on major e-commerce platforms also need to clearly mark the weight, purity, and pricing method, and are not allowed to conceal information or make false propaganda in the live broadcast room. The platform cooperates with regulatory authorities and takes penalties such as removing products from the shelves, restricting traffic, and closing stores for illegal stores, so as to unify online and offline gold consumption standards.
The industry is also actively self-disciplined. Many leading gold brands have taken the lead in responding to regulatory requirements, comprehensively standardizing labeling, display methods, and employee service procedures, proactively publicizing pricing rules and after-sales policies, and taking the lead in fulfilling the obligation to clearly mark prices, setting an example for small and medium-sized gold stores. More and more gold stores realize that only by operating with integrity and information transparency can they win the trust of consumers. Relying on concealing information for short-term profits will not make long-term progress.
Consumers' awareness of rights protection is also constantly improving. When buying gold, more and more people take the initiative to ask to check the weight and weigh it on site. If they encounter any behavior that conceals information, they directly call the 12315 hotline to complain and report. Consumer supervision, coupled with law enforcement by regulatory authorities, has formed a joint governance force, making the behavior of "hidden and heavy" increasingly less likely to survive.
5. Guide to avoid pitfalls when buying gold: Remember these steps, and the right to know is firmly in your hands
Facing the changes in the gold consumption market, consumers no longer have to worry about being cheated. As long as they remember these simple and practical steps, they can firmly grasp the right to know and buy gold with confidence without suffering any losses.
The first step is to clarify the pricing method when entering the store. Regular gold stores will display gram-priced and fixed-price jewelry in separate sections, with clear signs. After entering the store, look at the sections first to make sure which one you want to choose. Don’t be misled by confusingly displayed accessories.
The second step is to read the label before buying. If you don’t see the weight clearly, you won’t pay. When you pick up gold jewelry, you must first read the label. You must find clear information on weight, purity, total price, and labor costs. If the label is folded and the font is too small, just ask the store clerk to flatten it and open the plastic package to check. If you can't see the weight, give up decisively.
The third step is to proactively request on-site weighing. No matter what the clerk says, they insist on re-weighing on site to check whether the weighing result is consistent with the label weight. If the merchant refuses to weigh, it means he has something wrong with him. Just leave without hesitation.
The fourth step is to ask about the after-sales and trade-in rules. Ask in advance the return and exchange policy, the wear and tear fees, depreciation fees, and labor fee standards for trade-in, and ask the store clerk to write the verbal promise on the sales voucher to avoid after-sales wrangling.
Step 5: Keep all credentials. After payment, be sure to keep the label, sales receipt, invoice, and warranty card, which must contain information such as weight, price, material, etc. These are important evidence for subsequent rights protection.
