Starting next month, the sale of jewellery and artefacts in gold that does not have a 6-digit code on the hallmark will be banned. In a recent statement, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution announced that this move aims to promote a quality culture in micro-scale units.
According to the statement, starting from 1st April 2023, only those gold artefacts and gold jewellery labelled with a unique six alphanumeric characters (known as the HUID) will be allowed to be sold. This decision was made following an assessment gathering of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on March 3, 2023, chaired by Piyush Goyal, the Union Cabinet Minister.
This new regulation is expected to enhance consumer confidence in the quality of gold products and ensure that buyers can easily identify and trace the origin of their purchases. The Ministry’s statement also encourages all manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers to comply with the new guidelines to avoid penalties or legal consequences.
As per the official statement released by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, it has been announced that from 1st April 2023, only the sale of gold jewellery bearing the HUID will be permitted. The statement further added that an 80% concession on the certification/minimum marking fee would be provided across various product certification schemes of BIS, in an effort to promote quality culture in micro-scale units. Moreover, an extra 10% concession will continue to be given to units located in the North-East.
In the interest of consumers, it has been ruled that selling gold artefacts and gold jewellery without HUID hallmarking will not be allowed after March 31st, as announced by Nidhi Khare, who is an Additional Secretary at the Department of Consumer Affairs. She further stated that our digits and six-digit HUID are currently in use.
Piyush Goyal, while discussing the decisions made in the BIS review meeting, affirmed the commitment to ensure that all products in India meet the highest quality and safety standards. He stated that the measures would promote micro-scale units, improve the testing infrastructure, and cultivate a culture of quality consciousness among citizens.
The report also states that if jewellers do not comply with the rules, they may face a penalty of five times the price of the jewellery, one-year imprisonment, or both. Despite this, jewellers can still purchase old gold jewellery from consumers without hallmarking. Furthermore, the ministry has clarified that hallmarked jewellery obtained under previous schemes will remain valid for consumers.
India, the second-largest consumer of gold jewellery globally, is taking measures to ensure quality standards are met. This move aims to satisfy consumers and ensure India’s markets comply with basic standards as it strives to become the world’s third-largest economy.
