Hallmarking Process in India: How It Works for Jewellers

As we are all aware, the rate of gold is increasing day by day, so it is very important to know the purity of gold and its authenticity before buying any gold product. Hallmarking is the only procedure that is trusted a lot by almost everyone for measuring product purity and authenticity. In this blog, we will be mainly discussing the hallmarking process for jewellers that makes them trusted by their customers. 

Let’s begin our journey by learning about hallmarking briefly and about its process and how it is useful in gaining trust related to the product’s purity. 

What is hallmarking? How Many Processes Are There In It? 

Hallmarking is defined as a process that is done by jewellers for their customers to provide them surety that the gold product they are selling is 100% pure and they can trust them. In India, gold products with hallmarks are very essential, according to the Bureau of Indian Standards. 

Now, the question is, what is BIS and how is it related to hallmarking? So Hallmark certifies the purity of gold under the government body BIS, which provides the detail that the amount that the customer is paying is rightly valued and there is not any fault in the product and its price. 

According to BIS, there are two main objectives behind the hallmarking scheme: firstly, to protect the public against adulteration, and secondly, to necessitate manufacturers to maintain legal standards of purity in their gold. 

This was all about the hallmarking definition; now let’s move further with the hallmarking process for jewellers, where we will get a brief description of the main processes. 

Hallmarking Process for Jewellers: 

There are mainly 3 steps that are required to be carried out to attain the hallmark for the gold product. The first one is about homogeneity testing, where all the items that are given as samples are tested to be homogeneous, meaning the metals are of the same kind according to BIS factors. 

The second step in the process is purity testing, where any random item is selected from the bunch of products provided for samples and ensures that the complete product is pure enough to be bought by the customer. 

Before providing the product to the customer and bringing it to the market, a third step is carried out in the process, which is named individual item markings because the item is marked according to its composition, such as 18-carat gold, 24-carat gold, and so on. 

After knowing every process and detail about hallmarking, you might be wondering: Where are these processes carried out as there are numerous numbers of jewellery shops all over India? Let me take a moment to provide you with a brief and complete detail about the place. 

Where Does the Hallmarking Process for Jewellers Take Place? 

 The above-mentioned processes of hallmarking take place at several assaying and hallmarking centres (AHCs) that are present all over India. AHC is defined as a licensed facility where the purity of gold and silver metals is tested, melted, and hallmarked. Under the Bureau of Indian Standards, the AHCs do these complete processes and then provide licenses so that there is no confusion in the purity of the product for the customers and jewellers and the price paid and received is accordingly valued. 

Another doubt that might arise is what if the hallmark is not present on the gold or silver product? The answer to this is by AHCs; how? Let’s continue mentioning the details. 

Testing and Marking Products by AHCs: 

There are certain conditions that might arise when the gold or silver product is brought that does not have a hallmark on it, for this AHCs are used. AHCs melt and test the composition of the product and label the grade that is appropriate for them, giving them the correct value in the market. Hence, to maintain the price and value accordingly, it is maintained under BIS by AHCs. 

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, we can say that hallmarking has become very important in the present generation where every fraudster can be avoided who tries to steal gold and gain extra money, and the customers can believe the jewellers for buying gold and solver products with trust for purity and authenticity.