Hallmark Jewellery

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday said the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) should consider implementing mandatory hallmarking for silver and silver artifacts following consumer demands. "There is a demand from consumers for hallmarking of silver. You (BIS) can deliberate and take a call," Joshi said at the 78th BIS Foundation Day event. The government currently mandates hallmarking only for gold jewellery and artifacts, aimed at protecting consumer interests and ensuring product authenticity. The existing hallmarking system includes a unique six-digit alphanumeric code (HUID), which certifies gold purity. The potential extension to silver hallmarking would mark a significant expansion of India's precious metals quality control measures.

BIS also plans to bring gold bullion under mandatory hallmarking. Draft guidelines have already been prepared

2.75 kg gold worth Rs 1.5 cr seized from outlets in Mumbai's Zaveri Bazar; Nagpur, Pune and Thane anong other cities targeted

The standards authority has also increased the number of referral labs from 4 to 7 in FY23

The price of the gold depends on the karat which is a measurement of the purity of a piece of gold

Download BIS Care app, use 'verify HUID' to check authenticity

Introduction of reforms for the gems and jewellery industry would help push its growth rate and achieve $43.75 billion exports target for this fiscal year, Union Minister Anupriya Patel said.

In view of the disruption in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, they also urged the government to extend the next year's deadline for mandatory hallmarking.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has moved a step closer to mandatory selling of hallmarked jewellery. Two weeks earlier, it issued draft rules which propose compulsory registration for jewellers with BIS.Sources say it has been decided that "once jewellers' registration with BIS is done, the next move will be to mandate that only hallmarked jewellery can be sold". However, this would kill the business of online jewellery sales, as BIS registration is given to physical premises. Various trade and industry bodies have made representations on this, including the Indian Association of Hallmarking Centers. There have been assurances that some way will be found to allow online sale of hallmarked jewellery. At present, 25,000 jewellers have a licence from BIS for selling jewellery. If nthe Draft BIS Hallmarking Regulations are implemented in the proposed form, "over 300,000 jewellery retailers/stores will have to individually register with BIS and pay an annual fee", said an industry ...