Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID)

Recently, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs announced that beginning on April 1, 2023, the sale of gold jewellery will require a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID).

Without a 6-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification Number, the Bureau of India Standards (BIS) will not permit the sale of hallmarked gold jewellery or gold artefacts beyond March 31, 2023. (HUID).

About

The validity of hallmarked jewellery sold to customers under previous agreements shall not be affected.

Together with the 6-digit HUID mark, old hallmarked jewellery with 4 marks and no HUID was also allowed to be sold by jewellers.

With effect from June 23, 2021, the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts Order, 2022, effectively implemented mandatory hallmarking in 288 districts across the nation.

About Hallmarking

A distinctive 6-digit alphanumeric code made up of both numbers and letters is known as the HUID.

Hallmarking is the precise assessment and official documentation of the proportionate precious metal content in precious metal objects.

In the year 2000, BIS launched a jewellery hallmarking programme. Gold and silver, two precious metals, have currently been included in India's scope of Hallmarking.

Each and every item of jewellery will receive a HUID at the moment of hallmarking, and each one is unique.

The Assaying & Hallmarking centres hand stamp this distinctive number onto jewellery.

Current situation: The HUID was originally 4 digits, however, both 4 and 6-digit HUIDs are now used in the market.

Only 6-digit alphanumeric codes will be accepted starting on April 1st, 2023.

Three symbols make up the BIS Hallmark: the BIS emblem, the Purity/Fineness Grade, and a six-digit alphanumeric number.

The BIS Care App's "verify HUID" feature can be used to determine the authenticity of hallmarked jewellery.

About Bureau of Indian Standards

The National Standards Body of India is the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which was created by the BIS Act of 2016.

Objective: Harmonized growth of operations related to product and article quality assurance and standardisation.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution oversees it.

BIS represents India in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Significance of Hallmark

According to BIS Rules, 2018, if Hallmarked jewellery purchased by a consumer is later determined to be less pure than that marked on the jewellery, the buyer or customer is entitled to compensation that is equal to two times the difference calculated based on the shortage of purity for the weight of such an article sold and the testing fees.

It serves as a tool to defend and defend consumers and to increase their trust in buying hallmarked gold jewellery with traceability and assurance of quality.

Working of Hallmark

Consumers can use the BIS CARE app's "verify HUID" feature to inspect and validate the authenticity of hallmarked gold jewellery goods.

It includes information about the jeweller who had the item hallmarked, their registration number, the item's purity, kind, and specifics of the hallmarking facility that tested and stamped the item.

By comparing this data with the article kind and purity, a regular customer can confirm the item being purchased.

A consumer, however, cannot apply to the Assaying and Hallmarking Centre to have her gold jewellery hallmarked. A jeweller who is registered with BIS must be used for this.