What is BIS Hallmark Certification?

In the world of today spurious materials have been on the rise and no product has been spared. By, this sentence we mean that even the jewellery has been suffering from the spurious substances and other mixing of substances too. Hence, came the need of a certification authority for the jewellery mark too. Hence, with the rise of the spurious content jewellery materials, the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) came with the Hallmark certification for the gold and silver jewellery.

In general words, the hallmark certification is to inform the consumers of the purity of the gold and silver jewellery that is purchased by them. However, one must note that the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) hallmark certification for both the gold and silver came into existence at different time periods.

The BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) system of hallmarking of gold jewellery commenced from April 2000. Under this system the governing specifications are the IS 1417 (this includes grades of gold and gold alloys, Jewellery/Artefacts), IS 1418 ( it does the assaying of gold in bullion, Gold alloys and Gold Jewellery/Artefacts), and also includes the IS 2790 (Guidelines for Manufacturer of the 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 14and 9 carat Gold Alloys), IS 3095 (Gold solders for use in manufacture of jewellery).

The components of the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) hallmark certification are the following: 1. The BIS logo 2. Also the purity of Gold either on of this 22K916 and corresponding to the 22 carats, or the 20K833 which corresponds to 20 carats, 18K750 i.e. corresponding to 18 carats and 14K585 corresponding to 14 carats. 3. The logo of the centre which is assaying 4. Also the logo/code of the jeweller. And the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) hallmark certification for silver was introduced five years after the system for gold had been introduced. The system of hallmark certification for silver was also a successful one and can be said that even more successful than the Gold one. Currently, there have been spurious jewellery caught in the market but the amount is continuously on the decrease because of the BIS hallmark certification

Bureau of Indian Standards is the authorized agency in India for issue of BIS Hallmark License. The complete process and regulations of Hallmark certification is governed under the BIS Act, Rules and Regulations. It is a symbol of trust for the jewellery customers as it is mandatory to keep the quality control for managing quality as specified in the BIS Scheme for the holder of BIS hallmark license for gold jewellery. The Hallmark Registration is granted on gold and silver jewellery products after inspection by the BIS labs at the regional center.

BIS Hallmark Certification Documents

A jeweller can apply for hallmark license if he completes the below certificate requirements for bis hallmark application and approval.

Certificate of Company Registration
Proof of business premises of the Jeweller
Duly signed BIS hallmark application
Identity proof of the Applicant
Payment of requisite BIS hallmark license fees
Signing of an agreement as per the specified format

Hallmark Certification Process

To apply for BIS hallmark license , a person has to submit duly filled application form and follow the procedure below.

Document preparation for Hallmark registration
Agreement Preparation on stamp paper of INR 100/- in prescribed format
Fill the BIS Hallmark application form
Pay the requisite BIS hallmark license fees
A inspection will be carried out by the BIS inspector

Note :If the inspection process is positive, hallmark certification will be issued.

After the grant of BIS hallmark license, the jeweller is restricted to follow the terms and conditions mentioned in the agreement between BIS and the Applicant. Any fault or deviations in the purity of the gold or silver jewellery or any faulty business operation against the mentioned requirements of BIS registration may lead to the cancellation of the BIS Hallmark licence. If necessary, legal proceedings or penalties may also be implemented by BIS registration authority on defaulter.

Importance of Hallmark Certification for Jewellers

BIS hallmark license has importance for a jeweller in a number of manners. It is a symbol of trust which can boost the business by a number of times. Here are some of the points which describe the importance of Hallmark certification for Jewellers.