As per government rules, gold jewelery without hallmark cannot be sold. (Representational image)
Customers can get the jewelery tested at any BIS-accredited hallmarking centre.
The government has recently made new rules related to the sale of gold articles such as jewellery. The objective of these rules is to bring more transparency in the sale of gold articles and to ensure that customers are not cheated. From April 1 this year, it is mandatory for all gold jewelery to have a Hallmarked Unique Identification (HUID) number. If you have old unhallmarked gold jewelery and want to exchange or sell it, you must get it hallmarked. Take a detailed look at the new rules for the sale of gold artefacts.
What is HUID?
The hallmarked unique identification number on the gold artwork provides a distinct feature to the product. It also ensures that the gold item has the promised purity. Gold articles must have a purity mark, for example 22-karat, and the logo of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
What if you want to sell unhallmarked old jewellery?
As per government rules, gold jewelery without hallmark cannot be sold. If you have old unhallmarked gold jewelery to exchange or sell, you will need to get them hallmarked with HUID.
Read also: Is Your Gold Jewelery Original? Know this way to check its purity
Do note that if your jewelery is already bearing the old/old hallmark sign, you need not go through the hallmarking process. In this case, gold without HUID will be accepted.
In addition, gold weighing less than two grams, jewelery made for international exhibitions, any item for export that is earmarked for a specific requirement of a foreign buyer, and fountain pens, watches or jewelery of a special type are exempted from hallmarking .
Jewelers with an annual turnover of less than Rs 40 lakh have also been exempted from this process.
How to get hallmarking done on old gold jewellery?
Customers can get the jewelery tested at any BIS-accredited hallmarking centre. In case the number of items to be tested is five or more, the person will have to pay Rs 45 per item. If there are four items in the consignment, the charge will be Rs 200.
You can also get their jewelery hallmarked through a jeweler registered with BIS. The jeweler will take the item to a BIS testing and hallmarking center for this process.
How will the changes affect customers?
The new hallmarking rules will make the process of buying gold more transparent and ensure that the quality of the products is maintained. Jewelers not getting gold hallmarked can be punished with imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of five times the value of gold ornaments, or both.
