HALLMARKING OF GOLD
OVERVIEW
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the only agency in India approved by the Government for hallmarking gold articles of any kind to ensure their purity. Since gold is of such intrinsic value and is considered to be a popular investment choice for the majority of people in a country like India, the Government has a separate agency.
HALLMARKING SCHEME
Hallmarking of Gold which is a purity certification of the precious metal was voluntary in nature a few years ago. However, the government has now changed its stand and has made hallmarking of gold jewellery mandatory from June 16, 2021.
The BIS Hallmarking Scheme has been aligned with the International criteria of hallmarking.
The aim of such a scheme is to protect the consumers against victimization and to oblige jewellers to maintain legal purity standards.
For hallmarking of jewellery, a jeweler who wants to sell hallmarked jewellery has to obtain a registration from BIS. The process of jeweler’s registration and renewal of registration is done online. Since the procedure of hallmarking is now mandatory, BIS, keeping in mind the interest of the jewellers has waived of the registration fees. Till date 43,752 jewellers have registered themselves under the scheme.
The BIS certified jewellers can get their jewellery hallmarked from any of the BIS recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centers. The recognition of an Assaying and Hallmarking Centre is done against IS 15820:2009.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
- What is Hallmarking?
Hallmarking the accurate determination and official recording of the proportionated metal content in precious metal articles. Hallmarks are thus official marks used in India as a guarantee of purity or fineness of precious metal.
- Which precious metals are hallmarked in India?
In India, at present two precious metals namely gold and silver have been brought under the purview of Hallmarking.
- What are the Indian Standards on Hallmarking?
- IS 1417: 2016 Gold and Gold Alloys, Jewellery/Artefacts-Fineness and Marking- Specification
- IS 2112:2014 Silver and Silver Alloys, Jewellery/Artefacts-Fineness and Marking- Specification
- IS 15820: 2009 General Requirements for establishment and operation of Assaying and operation of Assaying and Hallmarking centres.
- IS 1418: 2009 Determination of gold in gold bullion, gold alloys and gold jewellery/artefacts-cupellation( Fire Assay) Method
- IS 2113: 2014 Assaying Silver in Silver and Silver Alloys-Methods.
- Is hallmarking of Gold Mandatory?
Yes, The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution via a press release dated June 15, 2021 has announced the phased implementation of mandatory hallmarking of Gold Jewellery from June 16, 2021.
- Who needs Registration from BIS?
Any manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor or retailer engaged in selling precious metal articles has to mandatorily get registered with BIS.
- Who needs to get the jewellery Hallmarked?
In the chain of Manufacturer, Wholesaler, Distributor and Retailer, the responsibility to get the article Hallmarked is on the one who makes the first point of sale. This hallmarking has to be done only once in the entire chain and it has to be done by the one who has made the first sale which may be Manufacturer or Wholesaler or Distributor or Retailer.
- What are the exemptions under mandatory hallmarking order?
- any article meant for export, which conforms to any specification required by the foreign buyer;
- an article with weight less than two grams;
- an article which is in course of consignment from outside India to an assaying and hallmarking center in India recognized as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018, for hallmarking;
- any article which is intended to be used for medical, dental, veterinary, scientific or industrial purposes
- any article of gold thread;
- any manufactured article which is not substantially complete, and which is intended for further manufacture;
- gold bullion in any shape of bar, plate, sheet, foil, rod, wire, strip, tube or coin.
- Export and re-import of jewellery as per Trade policy of Government of India.
- Jewellery for International Exhibitions.
- Jewellery for domestic Business-to -Business exhibitions, approved by Government. Agency
- Special categories of jewellery -Kundan, Polki and Jadaau.
- Jewellers with the annual turnover of upto Rs.40 lakh per annum
- Gold watch and fountain pen.
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