Only gold jewellery with 6-digit hallmark can be sold: Ministry of Consumer Affairs

NEW DELHI: Any gold jewellery and artefacts having only a four-digit Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number as a hallmark cannot be sold after March 31, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has announced.

From April 1, only gold jewellery and artefacts with a six-digit alphanumeric number as a hallmark can be sold, Nidhi Khare, additional secretary, of consumer affairs, said on gold hallmarking late on Friday. A Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number is a six-digit alphanumeric code consisting of numbers and letters.

It is worth mentioning that BIS has successfully implemented mandatory hallmarking in 256 districts of the country with effect from June 23, 2021, wherein more than 3 lakh gold articles are being hallmarked with HUID every day.

Nidhi Khare also said the hallmarked gold jewellery items were being sold across the country, even in those districts where it is not mandatory yet, because of consumers' demand for a quality product.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) had made a provision to allow a common consumer to get the purity of their unhallmarked gold jewellery tested at any of the BIS-recognized assaying and hallmarking centres (AHCs). HUID is stamped at the BIS-certified Assaying and Hallmarking Center.

The AHC undertakes the testing of gold jewellery from common consumers on a priority basis and provides a test report to the consumer. The test report issued to the consumer will assure him about the purity of their jewellery and will also be useful if the consumer wishes to sell the jewellery lying with him.

The authenticity and purity of the hallmarked gold jewellery items with the HUID number, purchased by consumers, can also be verified by using 'verify HUID' in the BIS CARE app. (ANI)

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