Second phase of mandatory gold hallmarking: Ministry of Consumer Affairs
Recently the central government has notified the second phase of mandatory hallmarking. This phase will be applicable from June 01, 2022.
In the second phase, three additional carats (20, 23 and 24) will be added for gold jewellery/artifacts as specified in Indian Standard IS 1417. In addition, 32 new districts will be included under mandatory hallmarking in this phase.
This will be implemented through the Hallmarking of Gold Jewelery and Gold Artifacts (Amendment) Order, 2022.
Earlier it was made mandatory on 14, 18 and 22 carat gold jewellery/ artefacts through Quality Control Order, 2021.
Hallmarking is the precise determination of the amount of precious metal in precious metal articles and printing on that article.
The hallmarking scheme is operated by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) –
- BIS is the national standards body of India. It has been established under the BIS Act 2016.
- Its objective is to develop standardization, marking and quality certification activities of goods in a consistent manner.
The following are the other certifications of BIS:
- ISI Mark Scheme registration for domestic manufacturers;
- Eco mark for eco-friendly products;
- BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) for categories of electronics goods etc.
About the carat
Carat is a measure of the purity of gold. It indicates the amount of pure gold (1 carat = 0.2 g) in the jewellery.
For example: 24 carat means 100% gold. 18 karat consists of 75% gold, and the rest are alloys.
Source – The Hindu
