Hallmarking is a certification process that verifies the purity of gold in India. The government has made it mandatory for all gold jewellery and artefacts to be hallmarked with 6-digit alphanumeric HUID from April 1st, 2023. 

According to the new notification by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the sale of old hallmarked gold jewellery and artefacts with four logos without a 6-digit HUID number will not be allowed after 31 March 2023. 

So, if you’ve already declared your old gold jewellery or artefacts with old hallmarking before July 1, 2021, according to the Bureau’s requirements, you can still sell, display, or offer to sell your declared stock of gold jewellery or artefacts until June 30, 2023, according to the notification.

Furthermore, under the Hallmarking Scheme, BIS issued jewellery registered identity, allowing them to get their jewellery hallmarked at any BIS-recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Center. 

The standard for recognition IS 15820:2009 (General Requirements for Establishment and Operation of Assaying and Hallmarking Centres). 

Why you should Check Hallmark before Buying Gold? 

Hallmarks are official symbols that are used in India to verify the purity or quality of items made of precious metals. 

It is an important step in the direction of consumer protection. The public’s protection from adulteration and manufacturers’ responsibility to satisfy legal standards of purity are the primary goals of the hallmarking scheme. 

Two precious metals i.e. gold and silver, have currently been added to the scope of hallmarking in India. 

Note- It is NOT mandatory to get hallmarked before selling silver jewellery and coins. 

Benefits of Buying Hallmark Jewellery 

• At the time of sale, if your jewellery is hallmarked, you will receive 100% of its value.

• The RBI has permitted gold lending companies to give loans of the entire value of the jewellery to the borrowers so if your jewellery is hallmarked, you can get 100% of its value and if it’s not, you can get 70-75%. 

• The BIS hallmark is a symbol of compliance with the purity of gold, as well as a symbol of a jeweller. This implies that the quality of the gold can be accepted as genuine and guaranteed.

• Any individual can differentiate between genuine precious metals and counterfeit jewellery. In the present day, jewellery retailers also carry their hallmarks, however, it is recommended to opt for the BIS hallmark as it is generally accepted.

Decoding Hallmarking on Jewellery According to BIS

Hallmarking is a combination of logo, number, character etc. The first symbol is the BIS logo, the second alphanumeric code indicates the purity (22K, 24K or 18K etc.) and the third is the 6-digit HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) code. 

Also, you can check six six-digit Alphanumeric code HUID number in the BIS CARE App. The gold jewellery hallmarking is now available in 14, 18, 20, 22, 23 and 24 carats. 

Before July 1, 2021, the jewellery had the earliest of the four marks listed below: 

• BIS Mark
• Purity in carat and fineness for gold (e.g. 22K916,18K750, 14K585) In the case of silver only fineness of 990,970,925,900,835,800 
• Assay centre’s identification mark/number 
• Jeweller identification mark/number 

After the introduction of the six-digit alphanumeric code in July 2021, the four marks for gold jewellery and antiques have been replaced by the three marks listed below. 

• BIS Mark
• Purity in carat and fineness for gold (e.g. 22K916,18K750, 14K585) 
• Six-digit alphanumeric code

About “BIS CARE” Application 

The Bureau of Indian Standards has a mobile app called “BIS CARE“ that allows users to verify details of registered products via the Application. 

Customers have the option to access the entire Complaint Management System. However, consumers who are dissatisfied with BIS-certified goods may file a complaint, ideally with supporting documentation. BIS CARE provides below information to consumers- 

• Check ISI Licence details 
• Confirm Hallmarking (HUID) 
• Verify CRS Registered products 
• File Complaints via the app. 
• Know Your Standards 
• Laboratories Information 
• Public Alert- product recall 

BIS Care App downloads increased from 2.3 lakhs in 2021–22 to 12.4 lakhs in the current fiscal year. Additionally, in the past two years, the BIS Care App’s “verify HUID” function got over a billion hits. 

Process of How to Register 

Consumers must register once through a faster registration process.  The user must provide information such as their name and mobile number, with the option to also include their email ID. 

After completing an initial email verification process to use a one-time password, the user can start using the app. 

The app gives users the option to file complaints about any of the following problems: 

• Quality of Product (ISI Marked/Hallmarked/Registration Marked) 
• Misuse of ISI Mark/Hallmark/Registration Mark 
• Others related to BIS  

Action Taken by BIS on Fake Hallmarking  

To avoid the misuse of the BIS Hallmark on gold jewellery, the Bureau of Indian Standards launched a special Enforcement activity on January 20, 2023, in major cities all through the state of Maharashtra.  

BIS seized gold worth Rs. 1.5 crore from the jewellery shop in Maharashtra and other six locations were raided at the same time, including major cities like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nagpur.

Furthermore, two stores in Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazaar that faked the hallmarking on gold jewellery were raided as part of the investigation, which resulted in the confiscation of almost 2.75kg of gold jewellery valued at more than Rs. 1.5 crore. 

Consumer Protection Against Fake Hallmarking

Hallmarked Jewellery purchased by a consumer is confined to be of lower purity than that indicated on the label, then the buyer or customer shall be entitled to compensation which shall be twice the amount of the difference calculated from the shortage of purity based on the weight of the item sold and the testing fees, by Section 49 of Indian Standards Rules 2018.

BIS’s Effort to Protect the Consumer Intrest in Buying Gold

BIS continues to work in a direction to bring more quality and trust among consumers with BIS-certified goods. As per recent analysis, more than 10 crore gold jewellery articles have been hallmarked as a response to the Government of India’s effort to protect the people from adulteration. 

By June 23, 2021, BIS had successfully implemented the compulsory hallmarking system across 256 districts in the country; 32 additional districts were added on April 4, 2022.

New hallmarking centres had been established in 55 new districts following the implementation of the second phase of the compulsory hallmarking order. Now, as of the third phase of the order announced on 8 September 2023, hallmarking is mandatory in a total of 343 districts.

Also, as a vigilant consumer, you must be aware of fake goods and choose BIS-certified ones only from the local Market. 

Read Our Blog – Mandatory Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery 

VINCULAR: Your Product Compliance Partner

VINCULAR is India’s leading regulatory compliance service provider seamlessly helping domestic and global manufacturers, importers, OEMs, ODMs, Brands, and MSMEs to enter the Indian market.

With a team of experts and professionals well-versed in their field, VINCULAR can help you obtain a Hallmark Registration Certificate hassle-free. 

Visit our www.vincular.in to learn more about our services.