How Is Gold Hallmarking System Operated In India? Importance Of Gold Hallmarking For Consumers

Gold is a precious yellow metal, which is preferred as a high-return investment tool. However, it is a very soft and delicate metal to make ornaments out of it. Hence, for making gold coins and gold jewellery, some other harder metals are mixed or alloyed with it to make it heftier. However, this also opens a scope to 'excessive adulteration' in the jewelleries, which can affect the consumers. 24-carat plating of articles of low caratage is also common in gold jewelleries. Common citizens will not be able to find the adulteration without proper technical tests. Here comes the importance of the gold hallmarking system in India. To avoid the issue of adulteration in gold, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Standing Committee on Gold and Precious Metals looked into the matter relating to the Standardization of Gold products and introduced the gold hallmarking system in India.

The RBI committee had identified the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the sole agency to operate the gold hallmarking system in 2000. Additionally, a hallmarking system for silver articles has been launched later in 2005.

Mandatory Hallmarking System In India

Hallmarking is known as the accurate determination and recording of the proportionate content of precious metal in the jewelleries or bullion/coins. The quality control order for mandatory hallmarking of gold jewelleries was issued on June 23, 2021, by the union government. The regulation made the hallmarking system mandatory in 256 districts in India, where there is at least 1 assaying and hallmarking centre (A&HC). The mandatory hallmarking order has been applicable on 14, 18, and 22-carat gold jewelleries. The jewellers need to obtain the hallmark registration from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and to make it easier the process can be availed online for free now.

How To Get The Hallmark?

Getting the hallmark on jewelleries is not a very tough process. The registered jeweler submits the jewellery for hallmarking to BIS-recognized Assaying & Hallmarking (A&H) centres. After testing, the A&H centre applies hallmarks on the jewellery which is found meeting the requirement of the standard.

BIS informs, "Entire process of recognition, which involves audit of the centres, submission of audit report, and grant of recognition or renewal, has been automated. BIS has developed a digital solution wherein the entire workflow in the assaying and hallmarking centre is automated and made online. The jeweler will submit the request for hallmarking online and the data for all the processes undertaken in the centre from inward receipt and weighment, XRF, Sampling, Fireassay, and laser marking is maintained online and can be monitored on a real time basis. At the end of the testing, a unique six-digit alphanumerical code is generated from the BIS server for each jewellery article and is laser marked by the assaying and hallmarking centre on the jewellery along with the BIS logo and purity mark."