New Delhi: As the Central Government’s new hallmarking rules come into force on Wednesday, it has become mandatory for jewellers to sell only hallmarked gold jewellery and artefacts.
Gold hallmarking is a purity certification of the precious metal. Though the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) introduced the hallmarking standards in April 2000, currently it is voluntary in nature.
However, with an objective to protect consumer interests, the government issued a notification in November 2019 to make the hallmarking standards mandatory.
Here are the important details –
- Gold hallmark is the official mark used in India as a guarantee of purity and fineness of precious metal articles.
- The BIS is already running a hallmarking scheme for gold jewellery since April 2000, and around 40 per cent of gold jewellery is being hallmarked currently.
- According to BIS, the mandatory hallmarking will protect the public against lower caratage and ensure consumers do not get cheated while buying gold ornaments and get the purity as marked on the ornaments.
- According to a notification released by the government in 2019, jewellers will be allowed to sell only 14, 18 and 22 carats of gold jewellery.
- BIS hallmarking has four components to ensure the purity of gold – the BIS mark, purity in karat and fineness, assaying and hallmarking identification mark/number and jeweller’s Identification mark/number.
- For instance, purity in karat and fineness can be denoted by any of the following -- 22K916 (corresponding to 22 karats), 18K75 (corresponding to 18 karats), 14K585 (corresponding to 14 karats).
- If a consumer has jewellery without hallmark, he/she can sell it to jeweller. The jeweller may melt the jewellery and make new jewellery of the grade 14, 18 or 22 carat only as specified in Indian Standard IS 1417:2016 and shall get it hallmarked before reselling it.
- The mandatory hallmarking rule is applicable for gold jewellery and artefacts only. It is not applicable for gold bullion and coins.
- In case shortage of purity is observed on testing of hallmarked articles, the certified body or license holder or his representative shall be responsible and will be punished for a term which may extend to one year or fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees.
- In case of any discrepancy, complaints can be made both offline and online. Online complaint can be made through BIS mobile app or by use of online complaint registration portal on www.bis.gov.in or by sending a mail to complaints@bis.gov.in. Offline complaint can be made personally contacting/writing to Public Grievance officer of the nearest Regional/ Branch office of BIS or directly to the Head (Complaints Management and Enforcement Department).
