What is Hallmarked Jewellery and how to check it on Jewellery you buy

Ever Checked BIS Hallmark in Gold coins and Gold Jewellery you Buy in India? It stands for the Bureau of Indian Standards, which was formed under the BIS Act of 1986. It is a body that is engaged in development of technical standards, certification of quality and management systems. A hallmarked product is a BIS certified product, which means that it adheres to the technical standards that have been fixed by the body. Precious metals such as gold and its products are usually tested for purity & quality in a testing center called the Assaying & Hallmarking center. Only if the tester is fully convinced that the compositions essential for purity of gold exist, is a hallmark granted to the product. A jeweler can apply for a license if he wants to operate under the hallmarking scheme. Once a jeweler has applied for the license, he has to follow the procedures laid down by BIS for testing and introspection. If the product does not meet the specified standards, the hallmark can be rejected or cancelled. But what is the need for such a hallmarking system? It is important to protect the consumer from purchasing impure or fake gold. We’ve heard of various scams and incidents where jewelers have fooled the consumer into buying impure gold for an exorbitant price. After all, it is every consumers right to purchase real gold for a fair price. Thus, hallmarking is an ideal way to provide that extra confidence, which in lay mans terms we call ‘assurance’ or ‘certification of quality.’ All Authentic Jewellers ensure that each of their Product is certified and thus as a Customer, when you buy Jewellery online you must ensure that you are buying from a reliable brand which certifies jewellery, All Products must have identification marks as mentioned by the Bureau of Indian Standards, you could read more here. 

All products that we at KaratCraft sell are accompanied by such guarantees, that ensures that wherever you may want to get it tested, the certificate is your guarantee and you as a online jewellery buyer are assured of the Purity of Gold. At KaratCraft, we ensure you get a Digital and a Physical certificate of Hallmarking, for all our Gold and Diamond Jewellery and .995 purity of Gold coins. Coins of .999 purity are not assayed and Hallmarked in India. So if any Jewellery store is giving you a Hallmarking for such coins, please be aware that Hallmarking on Gold coins is not done by any of the authorised centers  As listed on the BIS site (on the day of publishing this blog) there are 221 authorized Hallmarking centers in India, a list is available here. 

So Remember, it is in your own and the countrys interest that you as a Buyer is Beware. We at KaratCraft support this movement and wish to improve the environment by educating and being transparent. We Have Nothing to Hide. Complete Transparency is our philosophy.

P.S: Always remember to check for the hallmark before you make your purchase!