Source:www.bis.gov.in
By Vikrant Rana and Rupin Chopra
Hallmarking under Bureau of Indian Standards (hereinafter referred to as ‘BIS’), is the standard certification system used in case of articles made from gold and silver. Hallmark is the official recording of proportionate content of precious metal in precious articles. The hallmarking of gold began in the year 2000 and hallmarking for silver was introduced in 2005.
BIS Hallmarking- Objective
The principle objective of the Hallmarking Scheme is to protect the public against adulteration and to obligate manufacturers to maintain legal standards of fineness.[1] It is also a method to ensure responsibility of the manufacturer to maintain the standards of quality in the jewelry. Therefore, BIS Hallmark is a mandatory requirement for all articles made from gold and silver.
Hallmark contains five compulsory components, i.e. BIS mark, purity grade, jewelers identification mark Hallmarking Centre’s mark, jeweler’s mark and year of marking. The jeweler willing to obtain certificate of registration may do so by filing an application along with prescribed documents, either through the government’s official website or through physical form in the branch office of BIS.
The purity of gold is measured in ‘carat’ and is symbolized as ‘K’. Carat means the ratio between the mass of gold content and the total mass of the article. Carat is expressed in parts per 24. For example, a 22K gold means, out of the 24 parts of the article, 22 parts are made of pure gold. A 24K gold would mean that there is no other metal present in the article and it is made of pure gold.
As per Notification F. No. BS/11/05/2018 (hereinafter referred to as ‘Notification’), dated June 14, 2018, the guidelines for grant, operation, renewal and cancellation of license for manufactures, hallmarking center and refinery have been specified. The Notification specifies the guidelines and requisites for obtaining a hallmark license. The application fee for grant and renewal of the certificate of registration and for hallmarking centers is also specified in the Notification.
For grant and renewal of application
Application fee is INR 2000 is payable along with each application.
Registration fee is given below
| Category Annual turnover (in rupees) | Fee for five years (in INR) | |
| 1 | Above 100 crores | 80,000 |
| 2 | Above 25 crores & up to 100 crores | 2 40,000 |
| 3 | Above 5 crores & up to 25 crores | 15,000 |
| 4 | Less than 5 crores | 7,500 |
The Notification also provides a discount for jewelers having 5 or more outlets in India. For availing the discount, the jeweler needs to opt for a certificate of registration at corporate level, covering various retail outlets in one certificate.
For less than 5 outlets, when an application is filed for each outlet at a corporate level, a separate application fee of INR 2000 is payable (excluding applicable taxes) for either addition or exclusion of each outlet.
Fee for Grant and Renewal of Recognition of Assaying and Hallmarking Centre
| Fee | Amount (in INR) | |
| 1 | Application Fee | 10,000/- |
| 2 | Renewal Application Fee | 5,000/- |
| 3 | Assessment Fee (per man day) | 5,000/- |
| 4 | Recognition fee /Renewal of Recognition Fee
(for three years) |
60,000/- |
Note: Assessment fee is only excluded for surveillance assessment and complaint investigation.
The Notification further prescribes the hallmarking fee.
Fee for Grant and Renewal of Licence to Refinery or production center
| Fee | Amount (in INR) | |
| 1 | Application Fee 1000/- | 1000/- |
| 2 | Licence fee | 1000/- |
| 3 | Renewal Application Fee 1000/- | 1000/- |
| 4 | Inspection Fee | 7,000 |
| 5 | Marking fee (For Refined Gold as per IS 1417) | For Large scale units –
48,000/- per year (minimum)
For MSME -38,400/- per year (minimum) Unit = 1 Kg Unit rate: Rs. 50 Per Kg |
Note: For inclusion of new varieties, an amount of INR 5,000 is chargeable.
Hallmark is a widely recognized mark in India. Consumers in India adequately recognize the mark as the certified symbol that provides assurance of quality. The standards for Hallmark are aligned with the international standards of purity. A hallmark certificate can be easily obtained upon fulfillment of compliance and payment of requisite fees.
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[1] https://bis.gov.in/index.php/hallmarking-overview/overview-of-hallmarking/