Hallmark Registration

In India, especially women have more fascinated with gold for many years and gold is always a very safe and secure investment for Indian residents during tough times. Hence, to protect customers from adulteration and to obligate jewellers to maintain the purity of jewellery, the Bureau of Indian Standards launched a jeweller Registration Scheme. BIS introduced the Gold Hallmarking Scheme in 2000 & a Silver Hallmarking Scheme in 2005. It is the accurate determination & official recording of the equivalent content of precious metals (such as gold and silver) in precious metal articles. Thus, Hallmarks are legal marks used in many countries as a guarantee of the purity/fitness of precious metal articles. The primary objectives of the Hallmarking Scheme are to safeguard the public against adulteration & to obligate all manufacturers to maintain legal standards of fitness.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has decided on the compulsory hallmarking of gold based on the Consumer Protection Act 1986.

Importance of Hallmark Registration Certification

1. It rapidly boosts your business;
2. It gives quality assurances to jewellery products;
3. It provides customer satisfaction and builds trust among customers;
4. This Certification adds value to the precious stone & trust in jewellery;
5. Provide legal protection against any violation.

List of Different marks of a BIS Hallmark

Old Methods of Hallmarking

• BIS Mark or Logo: his mark shows that a 3rd?party or independent assessor has properly evaluated the decoration & validated the purity of a metal. In most instances, it is validated by one of the BIS-certified labs.

• Purity Grade: There are two ways to know the purity of gold; one is Karats which is denoted by KT and the second is Fineness Number. So, the highest grade of gold is 24KT (purest), but it is too soft to be utilised in ornamentation or jewellery. As an outcome, a trace amount of other metals, such as silver or zinc, is added to gold to create long-lasting jewellery/adornment.

• Hallmarking Centre’s Mark: This is the Hallmarking License of the marking centre or 3rd?party evaluator. The label is stamped on every product in the centre and is inspected for purity of silver & gold.

• Jeweller Mark: This is the manufacturer or jeweller’s mark on the metal article and each BIS-certified jeweller’s decorations bear a unique jeweller BIS Hallmark Logo.

• Marking Year: This shows the year the object was labelled or hallmarked. The marking year is recognised by a letter of code assigned by BIS. E.g., the letter A stood for 2000 B for 2001 and so on.

New Methods of Hallmarking

The BIS has introduced a new method for marking jewellery and the new method contains a Unique Identification Number along with a BIS Hallmark and the purity of the metal. In 2019, the Indian Government announced that the Hallmarking of gold artefacts & jewellery would be mandatory across the country. After fulfilling the terms & conditions of the Hallmark Registration Certificate as specified in Regulation 5 of the BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018, precious articles of gold marked with Hallmark shall be sold only by registered jewellers via certified sales outlets. The list of licensed jewellers can be accessed by selecting the state or region and IS Number.

Types of BIS Hallmarking Certificates

1. BIS Registration for Hallmarking Showroom/Jewellers

BIS Hallmarking Registration is compulsory for jewellers to manufacture or sell gold & silver jewellery. Under the Hallmarking Scheme, BIS grants Hallmarking Registration to jewellers for the specified location. A jeweller who wants to sell BIS Hallmarked gold jewellery must first obtain Hallmark Registration from BIS for each of their sales outlets. BIS-certified jewellers can have their jewellery hallmarked at BIS Assaying & Hallmarking Centres.

• BIS Recognition of Assaying & Hallmarking Centre:?

A Hallmarking Centre is a BIS-certified marking centre or 3rd?party evaluation centre where the purity of precious metals is examined & stamped. BIS recognition is required for the centre and the A&H centre can apply for BIS Recognition.

Procedure for Hallmark Registration in India

The following is the procedure for Hallmark Registration in India:

Step 1: Prepare Documents: First, we will help you prepare and arrange all the vital documents for the Registration.

Step 2: Filing of Application: Once we prepare all the documents, it’s our responsibility to file an application online for Registration on your behalf.

Step 3: Inspection: Once we submit the application and documents along with the prescribed fees. Then, an inspection will be conducted by the inspector of the concerned BIS department.

Step 4: Issuance of Certificate: Once the inspector is fully satisfied, then they will issue a Hallmark Registration Certificate and the same we will send you through email.

Documents Required for Hallmark Registration

The following are the documents required for the registration of Hallmark:

Proof of a Company/ firm establishment

• Registered partnership deed

• Registration certificate issued by ROC and MOA(Memorandum of Association)

• CA certificate (if the application is a proprietorship firm)

Address proof of company or firm

• GST registration certificate

• Income tax assessment order

• The sale or lease deed agreement

• Rent agreement with previous rent receipts

• Latest receipt of property tax

• Registration certificate issued by a state government

Proof of annual turnover:

• Copy of GST returns of the previous financial year

• In case the firm is new, an undertaking should be collected from the firm with an estimate of expected turnover and assurance to submit GSTR.

ID proof of the Signatory:

• Aadhaar-based verification or e-signature

• Copy of PAN card, Aadhaar card, passport, driving license or photo ID card issued by a Gazette Officer on an official letterhead.

Benefits of Hallmarked Gold

• Mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery provides much-needed assurance to buyers about their quality
• It ensures higher exchange or resale value because quality standardization always leads to price parity. This increases the trading of gold articles.
• Buyers receive the necessary legal protection. Hallmarked gold/silver ensures they don’t get caught in fraud.
• By selling hallmarked jewellery, retailers lay the base of sustainable business growth.

To know more, visit: Hallmark Registration