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From April 1, the sale of gold jewellery will not be allowed without a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said on Friday.
As reported by The Indian Express, Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, said, “In consumer interest it has been decided that after 31st March, 2023 sale of gold jewellery and gold artefacts hallmarked without HUID shall not be permitted.”
“Earlier, the HUID used to be of four digits. As of now both HUIDs (4- and 6-digit) are used in the market. We are saying that after March 31 only 6-digit alphanumeric code will be allowed,” Khare added.
What is HUID and why is it important on gold jewellery and gold artefacts? Why did the government say the new rule is in consumer interest?
As mentioned on the website of the Department of Consumer Affairs, HUID number is a six-digit alphanumeric code. It is given to every piece of jewellery at the time of hallmarking, and is a unique identifier for each gold item. The jewellery is stamped with the unique number manually at the Assaying & Hallmarking centre.
According to the department, the HUID makes it easy to trace the individual piece of jewellery, and is a guarantee of quality.
“In HUID-based Hallmarking, registration of jewellers is automatic with no human interference. It is aimed at ensuring the purity of Hallmarked jewellery and check any malpractice. HUID is a secure system and poses no risk to data privacy or security. HUID-based Hallmarking is a win-win for everyone. It brings about transparency, ensures consumers’ rights and obviates the chances of Inspector Raj,” the Department of Consumer Affairs website says.
As explained earlier, the HUID is stamped on the jewellery at the time of hallmarking. But what is hallmarking?
“Hallmark is a mark on gold jewellery which is affixed by an entity recognised by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to assure its fineness and purity. So whenever you buy any gold jewellery, make sure to check the Hallmark to avoid being cheated,” the government website says.
A BIS Hallmark consists of three symbols — the BIS logo, a symbol to indicate the purity and fineness of the jewellery, and then the HUID.
No gold jewelry is made of 100 per cent gold, as the yellow metal in itself is very soft and has to be mixed with other metals to shape it into jewelry items. The “purer” the jewellery, i.e., the more gold a piece of jewellery has, the more expensive it will be.
The three categories of hallmarked jewellery, according to the government website, are: “22K916 means that it is a 22 carat gold and the piece of jewellery has 91.6 percent gold. 18K750 means that it is an 18 carat gold and the piece of jewellery has 75 percent gold. 14K585 means that it is a 14 carat gold and the piece of jewellery has 58.5 percent gold.”
“You may check the purity of gold jewellery at any BIS-recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centre. For this you will have to pay a fee of Rs 200,” the government website says.
However, a consumer cannot apply to the Assaying and Hallmarking Centre for getting a hallmark on her gold jewellery. This has to be done through a BIS-registered jeweler.
The most obvious benefit is that the consumer is aware of the quality of the product she is buying and will not be cheated. But there are other benefits too. Since the quality of the jewellery is guaranteed, that piece will fetch a higher price when re-sold. Also, banks are likely to give loans on better terms if the mortgaged jewellery is hallmarked, the website says.
