What is a Hallmark?
The government of India took the cognizance and understood the necessity of protecting the public in its purchases of gold jewellery especially with regard to standards of fineness and the prevention of adulteration, be it deliberate or accidental.
The principal objectives of the Hallmarking Scheme are to protect the public against the fraud of adulteration and to oblige manufacturers to maintain legal standards of fineness. In India, hallmarking of gold is not a very old concept. It started in April 2000. Prior to this, buyers didn’t have a sure-shot way of determining the purity of gold.
Hallmarked gold ensures that the metal used to make the ornament conforms to international and national standards of purity and fineness. No wonder, the BIS hallmarking has become the benchmark of trust for a large number of gold buyers in the country.
Why Go For Hallmarked Gold?
In our country, and in many parts of the world, gold is not just a means to adorn bodies. It is one of the best modes of investment as well. Since ancient times, parents have been gifting gold ornaments to their daughters during their weddings. It is given as a form of security. If you look at it, you can see that gold is an integral part of every wise investor’s portfolio.
But in the absence of any method to determine the purity of the metal, the buyer is always at a risk. As a buyer, you will have to accept the quality of the metal as per the claims of your jewellery. Gold is a precious metal. If you are investing your money to buy it, why not be sure about its quality?
This way, you will know that the metal you are buying is worth the money you are spending on it. When you buy gold hallmarked by the Bureau of Indian Standards, you can be about the quality of the metal. So, whether you are buying gold bangles or diamond nose pins, or anything else, always go for hallmarked items.
WHY HALLMARK?
Precious metals used in jewellery and gift ware manufacture are always used as an alloy. The precious metal must be mixed with other elements to give it the necessary properties such as flexibility to produce a desirable and durable article.
Even the most experienced jeweler or chemist cannot tell how much precious metal there is in an alloy by sight or similarly distinguish products that comprise of a thick plating of gold covering a base metal interior.
Therefore, in the best interests of jewelers and consumers, all items being sold as gold (14, 18 or 22 carat) in India must be hallmarked to conform to the BIS standard. This cannot be done by the manufacturer or importer; articles must be submitted to one of the BIS certified Hallmarking Centers India.
