Exclusive: Govt may add 56 new gold hallmarking centres, mulls mandatory marking of bullion

Gold hallmark news: The government is considering expanding the scope of mandatory gold hallmarking, by adding 56 new regions to the existing network of 288 districts in the country. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) — which is the national standards body of the country operating under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution — is actively working in this regard.

The government has convened a meeting with various stakeholders, including jewelers, associations and BIS, on Thursday, August 17, to discuss the expansion of the mandatory gold hallmarking. A notification may be issued after the conclusion of deliberations on Thursday.

Mandatory marking of bullion will likely be discussed in the meeting as well.

Earlier, BIS — which ensures that quality goods and services reach consumers through various schemes — restricted the sale of hallmarked gold jewellery or gold artefacts without a six-character identification number. Also known as the Hallmark Unique Identification Number (HUID), this alphanumeric number — aimed at ensuring the safety and protecting the interest of the consumer —  is issued at the time of hallmarking of a piece of jewellery under the new rules.

Currently, gold hallmarking comprises three markings — the BIS Hallmark, figure mentioning the purity of gold in carats and fineness, and the six-character HUID code.

What is gold hallmarking?

Gold hallmarking is the accurate determination and official recording of the proportionate content of precious metal in the ornament o. A hallmark is a mark of standard on gold jewellery.

Why is gold hallmarking needed?

The idea behind making hallmarking mandatory for gold jewellery and other related products is to protect the public against adulteration and to force manufacturers to maintain legal standard of fineness.

What’s in it for the consumer?

Using the HUID, the consumer can verify the authenticity of gold jewellery by clicking on the ‘verify HUID icon’ on the BIS Care mobile app. The consumer can also get a piece of hallmarked gold jewellery tested at a BIS-recognised assaying and hallmarking centre (AHC) by paying testing charges of Rs 200.

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