Overview
Hallmarking is BIS’s purity certification for precious metal articles. It runs under the BIS Act, 2016 and the BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018. A registered jeweller sends articles to a BIS-recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC), which tests them and marks each piece with:
- the BIS logo,
- the purity in carat and fineness, for example 22K916, and
- a six-digit HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) code.
Hallmarking of gold jewellery and gold artefacts is mandatory in the districts named in the Mandatory Hallmarking Order, which BIS amends from time to time and publishes on its hallmarking page for jewellers. Silver articles can be hallmarked too, and the same jeweller registration covers both.
Who needs it
- Retail jewellers in notified districts with annual turnover above ₹40 lakh.
- Manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors who sell hallmarked gold or silver articles.
- Smaller jewellers who choose to register so they can sell hallmarked jewellery.
- Chains and multi-outlet jewellers registering each selling location.
Artisans doing job work only, with no sales in the chain, may be exempt if they hold supporting documents.
Exemptions from mandatory hallmarking
BIS lists exemptions including:
| Exempt | Notes |
|---|---|
| Articles under 2 grams | |
| Kundan, Polki and Jadau jewellery | |
| Gold watches and fountain pens | |
| Gold thread | |
| Export articles | Made to the foreign buyer’s specification, or exported and re-imported under trade policy |
| Exhibition jewellery | International exhibitions, and domestic B2B exhibitions approved by a government agency |
| Medical, dental, veterinary, scientific or industrial articles | |
| Bullion and coins | Gold bars, plates, sheets and coins, which BIS-approved refineries or mints may hallmark |
| Jewellers with turnover up to ₹40 lakh | May still register voluntarily |
Our process
- Applicability check. We confirm whether your district is notified, whether your turnover and product mix bring you under mandatory hallmarking, and which outlets need registration.
- Registration. We prepare your details and file the jeweller registration on the National Single Window System or Manakonline. BIS charges no fee, and the certificate is granted online.
- Manakonline setup. We set up the hallmarking login and show your team how to raise New Request for articles going to an AHC.
- AHC coordination. We help you choose AHCs near you and plan consignments so HUIDs are generated without holding up stock.
- Compliance routine. We set up stock records, invoice wording, purity display and staff briefings so you are ready for BIS surveillance and buyer complaints.
Penalties
Selling articles below the declared purity, or misusing the Hallmark, is an offence under Section 29 of the BIS Act, 2016, with imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of at least ₹1 lakh that may extend to five times the value of the goods, or both. Where retesting shows a purity shortfall, the jeweller must also pay the buyer compensation of twice the shortfall plus testing charges.
Why Aaditech
- BIS specialists since 2010. Our team includes former BIS officers who know how hallmarking registration and surveillance work.
- One contact for BIS. We also handle ISI mark and CRS work, and Legal Metrology approvals for weighing scales used in stores.
Note: Registration and HUID marking prove that an article was assayed at a BIS-recognised centre. Keeping purity, records and invoices in line with the regulations remains the jeweller’s responsibility.
