HUID or Hallmark Unique Identification number is a 6-figure code made of digits & letters allotted to each piece of gold jewellery as proof of its purity & fineness. This process of HUID hallmarking provides third-party assurance to the consumers regarding the originality of gold and is issued by Assaying & Hallmarking (A&H) centres.
These centres are established to assess the purity of gold jewellery submitted by the registered jewellers to declare its fineness and relevance according to justified Indian Standard norms. These private undertakings are monitored & and approved by BIS. It’s been made mandatory by the government to sell only hallmarked jewellery in 256 districts of India having at least one A&H centre.
According to a recent survey, about 3 lakh pieces of jewellery are reportedly being hallmarked daily, making the government’s scheme a huge success. HUID Hallmarking allows the traceability and registration of complaints of individual pieces of jewellery, neglecting any chances of fraud and promising the privacy & security of personal data.
How To Check HUID Hallmarking in Gold Jewellery?
BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) says hallmarks should always be checked before buying gold. The information is mainly conveyed by three symbols composing a hallmark. The first is the BIS logo, the second sign confirms the purity, and the third is the HUID code. A feature named, Verify HUID of the BIS Care app, which can be downloaded from the Play Store.
It provides the facility to its customers to check the authenticity of their gold jewellery items. Customers can also get their jewellery checked in A&H centres which can be found through a justified link, www.bis.gov.in, issued by the government by paying a decided amount. The price of testing four jewellery items is Rs. 200, and the rate for five items or above is Rs. 45 per article, regardless of weight.
Exemptions
● Jewellers with an annual turnover of up to Rs. 40 lakhs
● Export and re-import of jewellery as per the Trade Policy of the Government of India
● An article to be used for veterinary, industrial, medical or scientific purposes
● Special jewellery like jadaau, kundans & polki
● Watches & fountain pens
● Articles of gold threads
● Gold items weighing less than 2 grams
● Any incomplete manufactured item
● Jewellery for B2B exhibitions & government approved international exhibitions
● Gold bullion in any shape of a bar, sheet, foil, plate, wire, rod, coin or tube
Can Old Gold be Hallmarked?
To have the old jewels hallmarked, the BIS-registered jeweller must submit old un-hallmarked jewellery to a BIS-recognized A&H centre for evaluation and hallmarking. Following testing, the A&H centre will apply the hallmark to the jewellery if it meets the designated authentication & purity standards.
It is evident that mandatory hallmarking benefits India’s gold market by improving transparency and offering customers greater confidence in the purity of the gold they wish to buy. With no space for under-carating, retailers focus more on designs and customer service enhancements.
Compulsory HUID hallmarking is raising the image of the Indian gold marketplace and is boosting refined jewellery exports.
