Indian cabinet may approve a law leading to compulsory hallmarking of gold jewellery

04 Jan 2012 Evaluate

It has been reported that the Indian cabinet will approve amendment to a law leading to compulsory hallmarking of gold jewellery in the world's largest consumer of the precious metal. However, the amendment needs to be ratified by parliament before it becomes law. Currently, hallmarking of gold jewelry is optional for retailers.

Hallmark on gold jewellery gives credibility to the purity of gold. It tells the percentage of purity, among other things. Jewellery accounts for 80% of gold sales, much of it handmade and fashioned in small workshops. These traditional handcrafted pieces, with their many joints and alloys used for soldering, leave room for dubious claims on caratage.

In India, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the accreditation agency which certifies and hallmarks gold jewellery and other precious metals. A hallmark consists of carat, stamp of BIS, year of mark and jeweller’s identification mark.

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