The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distributions released a statement that “hallmarking will be initially be starting from 256 districts of the country which have assaying marking centers.” It also said that “jewelers with annual turnover up to Rs. 40 lac will be exempted from mandatory Hall Marking”. But, what does mandatory gold hallmarking mean? Read to find out how it will affect your existing jewelry.
What is gold hallmarking?
Hallmarking is a process that ensures and certifies the purity of a metal. In India, the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) certifies the purity of gold. Normally we call it BIS hallmarking. 14-carat, 18-carat, 22-carat, and 24-carat are common carat and fitness purity levels. BIS hallmarking includes an identification mark and, the number of hallmarking centers. It also has the identity mark and number of the jeweler.
Are you wondering what ‘carat’ stands for? To illustrate, when you buy jewelry with a 22-carat hallmark, 22 out of 24 parts of the item are pure gold and the remaining are alloys of gold.
Wait, does that mean the gold you bought has impurities?
No. Alloys are what make your gold jewelry strong. If there were no alloys, gold will be easy to change shape and bend. This is also why 24-carat gold is not recommended for ornaments.
What does the new directive mean?
According to the latest directive, jewelers in India can only sell 14-carat, 18-carat, and 22-carat gold jewels from June 15, 2021. BIS gold hallmarking is digitized and moved online. The directive aims to protect customers from low-quality jewelry and tricksters.
What will happen to the jewelry you already have?
You’ve probably bought some jewelry before or, inherited it from your ancestors. Now, you must be wondering the fate of your jewelry that does not carry a hallmark. There is nothing to worry about. This new directive is only for sellers. Individual owners need not worry. After all, the main goal of this directive is to enhance the credibility and gold sold. This will safeguard you and ensure that you buy original and good gold.