As per the notification, the ministry has amended the Hallmarking of Gold Jewelery and Gold Artifacts Order, 2020 and allowed only those jewelers who declared their old stock — having an old hallmarking mark — to clear those articles before June 30, 2023.
“Provided that if any person had already given declaration as required by the Bureau under sub-section 4 of section 18 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 (11 of 2016) declaring his old stock of gold jewelery or gold artefacts with old hallmarking as existed prior to July 1, 2021, such person shall be permitted to sell or display or offer to sell such declared stock of gold jewelery or gold artefacts up to June 30, 2023,” the notification said.
Speaking to PTI, additional secretary in the ministry Nidhi Khare said there are 1.56 lakh registered jewelers in the country, out of which, 16,243 jewelers had on July 1 this year disclosed their old hallmarked jewelery.
“About 16243 jewelers, who had disclosed old hallmarked jewelery on 1.7.2023, have been given a final extension of 3 months,” she said.
This is the final deadline and no more time extension will be given to clear the old stock, she added.
Khare said the rest of the registered jewelers will be selling gold jewelery with the 6-digit alpha numerical HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) mark from April 1. Gold hallmarking is a purity certification of the precious metal. The six-digit HUID number was introduced from July 1, 2021.
Prior to the introduction of the HUID number, hallmarking of gold jewelery consisting of four marks — BIS logo, purity of the articles as well as logo of jeweler and Assaying and Hallmarking Centre.
But the six-digit HUID hallmarking comprises only three marks — BIS logo, purity of the article and six-digit alphanumeric HUID.
The simultaneous sale of hallmarked gold jewelery with and without a six-digit HUID number was creating confusion and the government set April 1 deadline for all jewelers to compulsorily implement the six-digit HUID number.
As per section 49 of Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018, if hallmarked jewelery purchased by the consumer is found to be of lesser purity than that marked on jewelery, then the buyer/customer will be entitled for compensation which will be twice the amount of difference calculated on the basis of shortage of purity for the weight of such article sold and the testing charges.
India is the world’s largest consumer of gold jewelery and imports about 700-800 tonnes annually.