The government said several rounds of consultations were held with all stakeholders including jewellers on the issue for hallmarking by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) through meetings held in the eastern, southern as well as western regions of the country.
After due consultations, it was decided that sell, or offer to sell gold jewellery or gold artefacts won’t be allowed unless it is hallmarked with six digit Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number.
According to a statement from the department of consumer affairs, the department held a meeting on January 18, 2023, with all stakeholders on the issue.
After having due consultations with all stakeholders and based on the views received, the department said it had been decided that after March 31, 2023, sell, or offer to sell gold jewellery or gold artefacts won’t be allowed unless it is hallmarked with six digit Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number which is in accordance with the Indian Standards specified in IS 1417:2016 as amended.
Hallmarking scheme for hallmarking of jewellery was started by BIS in 2000. However, mandatory hallmarking has been successfully implemented in 288 districts of the country with effect from June 23, 2021, vide Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts Order, 2022, and its amendment dated April 4, 2023, according to the statement.
Currently, more than 3 lakh gold articles are being hallmarked with HUID every day. At present, 339 districts have at least one AHC.
Before the implementation of six-digit Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, hallmarking of Gold jewellery was consisted of four logos viz, BIS logo, purity of the article as well as logo of jeweller and Assaying and Hallmarking Centre. Six-digit HUID was introduced from July 1, 2021, and all articles hallmarked post-July 1, 2021 have to be hallmarked with HUID only. After introduction of HUID, hallmark consisted of three marks namely, BIS logo, purity of the article and six-digit alphanumeric HUID. Each hallmarked article has unique HUID number which is traceable.
According to the statement, a consumer can check and authenticate hallmarked gold jewellery items with HUID number using ‘verify HUID’ in BIS CARE app which is available in both android as well as iOS. It provides information of the jeweller who got the article hallmarked, their registration number, purity of the article, type of article as well as details of hallmarking centre which test and hallmarked the article. Using this information a common consumer can verify the article being purchased by matching it with article type as well as it’s purity.
It said HUID enhances the confidence and trust of consumers in the authenticity of jewellery they purchase. Till now ,the old hallmarked jewellery with four marks without HUID was also permitted to be sold by the jewelers along with the 6-digit HUID mark. More than a year and 9 months were given to jewellers to clear their stock of their 4 digit hallmarked articles. However, the simultaneous sale of two type of hallmarked jewellery by the jewels was creating confusion in the mind of the common consumer.