1. If you are planning to buy gold jewellery then you must be aware about the Gold Hallmarking before buying any piece of gold Jewellery. Knowledge of Hallmarking may be beneficial for you. And for that you will have to read this blog because in this blog we will talk about what is Hallmarking, what are the benefits of Hallmarking and how you can check Hallmark on gold jewellery.
2. But, before diving deep into this blog we would like to inform you that the Government has made it mandatory to sell Hallmarked jewellery in 256 districts of the country having at least one Assaying and Hallmarking Centre. A list of these 256 districts is available at https://bis.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/qc-order-June-2021-2.pdf
3. So make sure you read all the information very carefully. This information can be very useful and you will be able to recognize the Hallmark on the gold jewellery very easily.
4. What is Hallmark?
Hallmark is a mark on gold jewellery which is affixed by an entity recognized by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to assure its fineness and purity. So whenever you buy any gold jewellery, make sure to check the Hallmark to avoid being cheated.
5. How to check Hallmark on gold jewellery?
BIS Hallmark consists of 3 symbols which give you some information. In this, the first symbol is BIS logo, second symbol indicates purity and fineness and the third symbol is a six digit Alphanumeric code. And before buying any piece of gold jewellery you have to see all these 3 symbols. A brief description of each of these 3 symbols is given below.
(i) BIS Standard Mark
The first thing which you have to see on your Hallmarked gold jewellery is the BIS logo, which resembles the shape of a little triangle. This logo symbolizes the involvement of BIS.
(ii) Purity / Fineness Grade
The purity of the piece of gold jewellery is important because it is the basis of the price of that piece of gold jewellery. The second symbol lets you know the purity of gold jewellery. Since pure gold is very soft, other metals are mixed with it while making gold jewellery. Different amounts of metal are mixed in gold jewellery. At present, you will get to see the purity and fineness in one of the following ways –
•22K916
•18K750
•14K585
In this, 22K916 means that it is a 22 carat gold and the piece of jewellery has 91.6 percent gold. 18K750 means that it is an 18 carat gold and the piece of jewellery has 75 percent gold. 14K585 means that it is a 14 carat gold and the piece of jewellery has 58.5 percent gold.
(iii) Six digit Alphanumeric code
The third symbol is a six digit Alphanumeric code. This Alphanumeric code is unique for every jewellery article.
6. These are the three symbols of Hallmark which you have to see before buying any piece of gold jewellery.
7. What is the purpose of Hallmark?
Consumers may not be aware of the purity of gold in a particular piece of gold jewellery. So, they may be misled in buying gold jewellery of less purity than was promised to them. The main purpose of Hallmark is to protect the consumers from any fraud or cheating. Hallmark on the gold jewellery is a guarantee of purity of gold jewellery.
8. How the Consumer benefits from Hallmark
Presence of Hallmark on a piece of gold jewellery gives confidence to the consumer that the gold jewellery being bought by her is of the promised purity as written on it.
Since the purity of Hallmarked gold is guaranteed, you may get proper rate when selling the piece of gold jewellery anywhere in the country. The banks may be willing to sanction loan on better terms if Hallmarked piece of gold jewellery is offered as mortgage. On the other hand, if you have bought un-Hallmarked gold jewellery, then you may not get proper rate when selling a piece of gold jewellery. Further, the banks may sanction loan on higher interest rate if un-Hallmarked gold jewellery is offered as mortgage.
9. How to check the purity of gold jewellery?
You may check the purity of gold jewellery at any BIS recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centre. For this you will have to pay a fee of Rs 200.
10. How to get Hallmark on old gold jewellery?
The consumer may get Hallmark on her old gold jewellery through a BIS registered jeweler. A BIS registered jeweler can apply at a BIS recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centre to get Hallmark on old gold jewellery or the jeweler may melt the jewellery and make new jewellery and get it Hallmarked before reselling it.
11. How much does it cost to get Hallmark on gold jewellery?
For the BIS registered jeweler, the cost of getting Hallmark on gold jewellery is Rs 35 per piece. However, a minimum fee of Rs 200 is charged for a consignment.
Keep in mind that the consumer cannot apply to the BIS recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centre for getting Hallmark on gold jewellery. Consumer can only check the purity of Hallmarked gold jewellery at any BIS recognized Hallmarking and Assaying Centre.
