In India, gold hallmarking mandatory from June 15

NEW DELHI - The Indian government has enforced mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts from 15 June. Halmarking is not mandatory for the jewellers with turnover of Rs 40 lakh and below. Jewelery meant for export and the imported jewelery is exempt from hallmarking. 

As per the new guidelines, jewellers across India will now be allowed to sell gold items of only 14, 18, 20, 22, 23 and 24 carats from June 15, 2021 onwards.

Hallmark is a purity certification for gold. The Hallmarking of jewellery or artefacts is required to enhance the credibility of gold Jewellry and Customer satisfaction through third party assurance for the marked purity/fineness of gold, consumer protection.

Currently, only 40 percent of gold jewellery sold in India is being hallmarked.

Furthermore, only 35,879 of India’s approximately 4 lakh jewellers are currently BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certified, according to the World Gold Council. Those jewelers who have non-hallmarked jewelery will have to get it hallmarked by 01 Sep 2021.

Under new regulation, the gold consumer will be assured of the authenticity of the jewellery, if it is hallmarked. So, if you are buying 18-carat gold which is hallmarked, it will actually mean that 18/24 parts are gold and the rest is an alloy. It is important that as a customer you buy Hallmark certified Gold only.

BIS Hallmark will be for six categories – 14 carat (14K585), 18(18K750) carat, 20 carats, 22 (22K916) carat, 23 carat, and 24 carat with A&H centre’s identification mark/number and jewellers identification mark/number.

To identify hallmarked gold, one needs to look at least for these 4 hallmark signs or symbols:

1. BIS Mark

2. Purity in carat and Fineness (any one)

a) 22K916 – Equal to 22 Carat

b) 18K750 – Equal to 18 Carat

c) 14K585 – Equal to 14 Carat

3. Identification Mark or Number of the Hallmarking Centre

4. Identification Mark or number of the Jeweller’s

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is authorised to carry out the hallmarking of gold jewellery and any jewellery can apply for license and the registration number before getting their jewellery hallmarked from them.