Gold Hallmarking Explained: Here's How You Can Find Out If Your Jewellery is Hallmarked

The hallmarking of jewellery/artefacts is basically aimed at determining the credibility of gold jewellery and customer satisfaction through third party assurance for the marked purity/fineness of gold, consumer protection.

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New Delhi: Come 16th June, it will be mandatory for all jewellers to sell hallmarked jewellery. This has been implemented to keep a check on mis-selling because jewellery can be sold saying its 22-karat while in reality it may be lower in purity.

In 2019, the government had made mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts across the country from January 15, 2021. However, the deadline has been extended to June 15 owing to pandemic.

What’s gold hallmarking?

It is a purity certification of the gold metal which was voluntary in nature till now. A piece of hallmarked jewellery basically tells you about purity of gold – whether it's 18-karat, 20-karat or 22-karat.  The hallmarking of jewellery/artefacts is basically aimed at determining the credibility of gold jewellery and customer satisfaction through third party assurance for the marked purity/fineness of gold, consumer protection.

According to the Bureau of Indian Standard, mandatory hallmarking will protect the public against lower caratage and help consumers from being cheated while buying gold ornaments and get the purity as marked on the ornaments.

The BIS has been running a hallmarking scheme for gold jewellery since April 2000. Around 40 per cent of gold jewellery is being hallmarked currently.

How do jewellers get hallmark certificate?

Normally, a jeweller get the hallmark certificate from assaying and hallmarking centres (AHCs). The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) accredits these centres. Apart from this, the jeweller also have to obtain a licence from BIS to get the items hallmarked.

How to identify hallmarked jewellery?

In order to ensure that the hallmarking on jewellery is genuine, it is important to consider few things. At the time of buying jewellery, you may notice three marks on hallmarked jewellery such as purity, assaying or hallmarking centre's identification mark, along with the jeweller's identification mark/number.

Moreover, to ensure that the details are genuine, make sure you buy from a jeweller registered with BIS.

Apart from this you can also check the bill. As per the regulations, the jeweller will have to mention the hallmarking charges separately. The AHC charges a fee of Rs35 per piece. So the bill or invoice must separately indicate the description of each article, net weight of the precious metal, purity in karat and fineness, and hallmarking charges.

If you are not satisfied with the above measures, you can also get your jewellery tested from any of the BIS-recognized AHCs. The centres undertake the testing of jewellery of consumers on priority on a chargeable basis.