By Anant Kumar, Scientist – C/ Deputy Director, HRBO, BIS
Gold holds an extraordinary place in the hearts of Indian women, symbolizing prosperity, wealth, and beauty while serving as a vital adornment and generational investment. Across India, gold is more than just a precious metal; it is woven deeply into the cultural, financial, and emotional fabric of society. From birth to marriage, gold accompanies women throughout their lives, embodying tradition, beauty, and financial security.
The cultural ties between gold and Indian women run deep, especially during life’s most important moments. Gold is an integral part of weddings and festivals like Diwali and Durga Puja, where women are adorned with gold jewelry.
Beyond its aesthetic and cultural significance, gold plays a crucial role as a financial safeguard for Indian women. Gold jewelry often acts as a hedge against economic uncertainty, serving as a form of wealth that can be liquidated when needed.
Given the cultural and financial importance of gold in India, ensuring its purity is essential. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India’s National Standards Body, plays a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity and trust associated with gold through its Hallmarking Scheme. This scheme guarantees that consumers receive gold of certified purity, providing them with peace of mind and protecting them from adulteration.
Hallmarking is the process of accurately determining and officially recording the precious metal content in gold articles. It serves as a legal assurance of the purity or fineness of gold. BIS has aligned its Hallmarking Scheme with international standards, ensuring that Indian consumers receive the highest quality gold. Under this scheme, registered jewellers can get their jewelry hallmarked at any BIS-recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centre.
These centres, recognized against the Indian Standard IS 15820:2009, conduct tests to verify the purity of gold items and ensure they meet the legal standards of fineness. The hallmark consists of three parts: the BIS logo, the purity of the article in carats, and the unique identification number (HUID) for the specific item. This official marking acts as a seal of trust for consumers, ensuring that the gold they purchase is genuine.
In cases where hallmarked gold is found to be of lesser purity than indicated, consumers are entitled to compensation. This compensation can amount to two times the difference in the purity level and weight of the gold item. This policy underscores BIS’s commitment to safeguarding consumer rights and maintaining the highest standards of trust in the gold market.
To further protect consumers, BIS has launched the “BIS CARE mobile app”, which allows individuals to verify the authenticity of hallmarked gold items through the “Verify HUID” feature. By scanning the Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, consumers can check the purity of the gold before purchase, ensuring they receive the quality they are paying for.
This initiative by BIS adds a layer of transparency, enabling consumers to make informed purchasing decisions and helping them build trust in the authenticity of hallmarked gold items.
The writer is Scientist – C/ Deputy Director, HRBO, BIS