Hallmark on gold mandatory from today, check new guidelines before buying yellow metal

Following the government's decision to postpone the earlier June 1 deadline due to the COVID-19 outbreak, gold jewellery and related commodities will be required to be hallmarked beginning Tuesday, June 15. According to the new criteria, jewellers in India can now only offer gold goods weighing 14, 18, or 22 carats. According to the government, the number of hallmarking centres has increased by 25% in the last five years. India has the capacity to mark roughly 14 crore goods per year using existing certification centre capabilities.

Hallmark on gold is now mandatory

According to news agency PTI, a committee led by Director General Pramod Tewari of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has been tasked to ensure effective coordination and tackle implementation concerns. The government declared in November 2019 that from January 15, 2021, hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts will be required across the country. However, due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the deadline has been extended twice.

What is hallmark gold?

Gold hallmarking is a method of certifying the metal's purity. While gold hallmarking is currently optional in India and not a requirement. The government's initiative aims to protect gold buyers from being duped by vendors. Customers can identify hallmarked gold using four purity symbols: BIS mark; Carat and Fineness purity (14, 18, 22); Identification mark/number of the Hallmarking Centre; the identity mark/number of the jeweller. It is critical that as a buyer, you purchase only hallmarked gold ornaments. Customers can be confident that they are receiving gold products that are guaranteed to be pure as stated on the item due to mandated hallmarking.

Government guidelines on gold

• Indian jewellers will only sell 14 carat, 18 carat, and 22 carat gold jewellery starting June 15.
• The gold hallmark registration process has been automated and moved to the internet.
• Customers buying gold will be protected from being duped by lower-quality jewellery thanks to the necessary hallmarking process.
• Customers who purchase an 18-carat certified gold product can rest assured that 18 of the 24 parts of the item are pure gold, with the remaining quarter made up of alloy.

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