Hallmarking system

Why is in news? Centre notifies third phase of mandatory hallmarking from September 8, 2023

The third phase of the mandatory hallmarking vide Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts (Third Amendment) Order, 2023 comes into force from September 8, 2023

The third phase of the mandatory hallmarking will cover additional 55 new districts under the mandatory hallmarking system, wherein a hallmarking centre has been setup post implementation of the second phase of the mandatory hallmarking order thereby making the total number of districts covered under mandatory hallmarking as 343.

BIS has been successful in implementation of Mandatory Hallmarking in 256 districts of the country with effect from 23 June 2021, in the first phase and in the additional 32 districts with effect from 04 April 2022, in second phase wherein more than 4 lakh gold articles are being hallmarked with HUID every day.

Since the implementation of mandatory hallmarking, number of registered jewellers have increased from 34,647 to 1, 81,590, while Assaying and Hallmarking Centers (AHCs) have increased from 945 to 1471. More than 26 crore articles of gold jewellery have been hallmarked with HUID so far.

Consumers are encouraged to verify the authenticity and purity of the hallmarked gold jewellery items with HUID number purchased by using ‘verify HUID’ in BIS Care app which can be downloaded from the play store.

Hallmarking:

Hallmarking is the accurate determination and official recording of the proportionate content of precious metal in precious metal articles.

Hallmarks are thus official marks used in many countries as a guarantee of purity or fineness of precious metal articles.

The principle objectives of the Hallmarking Scheme are to protect the public against adulteration and to obligate manufacturers to maintain legal standards of fineness.

In India, at present two precious metals namely gold and silver have been brought under the purview of Hallmarking.

Hallmarking scheme of BIS:

Under Hallmarking scheme of Bureau of Indian Standards, Jewellers are registered for selling hallmarked jewellery and recognise testing and hallmarking centres.

BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations were implemented w.e.f. 14.06.2018. Hallmarking will enable Consumers i.e. Jewellery buyers to make a right choice and save them from any unnecessary confusion while buying gold.

The Hallmarking of jewellery/artefacts has been required to enhance the credibility of gold Jewellery and Customer satisfaction through third party assurance for the marked purity/fineness of gold, consumer protection. This step will also help to develop India as a leading gold market centre in the World.

The Indian Standard on Gold Hallmarking IS 1417:2016 specifies three grades for hallmarking of gold jewellery/ artefacts which are 14 Carat, 18 Carat and 22 Carat and Indian standard on Silver hallmarking IS 2112: 2014 specifies six grades of silver alloys viz 990,970,925,900,835,800 used in the manufacture of jewellery/artefacts of silver.

Mandatory Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery has come into force from 16th June, 2021 and covered all over the country in a phased manner.