English
English
English
BIS raises gold hallmarking fee ahead of festive season (Img: Dynamite News)
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has revised hallmarking charges for gold and silver articles, increasing the fee for gold to Rs 75 from Rs 45 while keeping the silver charge unchanged at Rs 35. The new rates have come into effect ahead of the festive season.
The revision was notified through the BIS (Hallmarking) Amendment Regulations, 2026, dated September 14, 2026.
Under the amended Schedule IV, jewellers will now have to pay Rs 75 per gold article, with a minimum charge of Rs 200 per consignment. For silver articles, the fee payable to recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) remains Rs 35 per article, with a minimum of Rs 150 per consignment.
BIS hallmarking certifies the purity of precious metals used in jewellery. A hallmarked article carries three key markings: the BIS logo, the Karat or millesimal fineness and a six-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number.
The All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) has expressed concern over the increase and urged the government and BIS to review the decision immediately. The industry body also called for the existing charge to be retained until consultations with stakeholders are held.
"GJC and the jewellery industry have consistently supported hallmarking because purity assurance and consumer confidence are fundamental to our trade. But support for hallmarking does not mean that a nearly 67 per cent increase in the cost of mandatory compliance should pass without examination. Hallmarking volumes have expanded enormously. The industry, therefore, deserves to understand why the per-article charge needs to rise from Rs 45 to Rs 75 at this stage," GJC Chairman Rajesh Rokde said.
Rokde said the priority should instead be on tackling fake hallmarking, unauthorised operations and non-compliance before imposing higher costs on jewellers who follow the rules.
"Compliance must remain commercially sustainable. If the compliant route becomes progressively more expensive while informal and unauthorised channels continue to operate, the differential between the two widens. That is not desirable either for the government, the industry or the consumer," GJC Vice Chairman Avinash Gupta said.
Gupta also raised concerns over aggressive discounting and commercial inducements among players competing to increase hallmarking volumes.
If we talk about gold prices, according to a Dynamite News correspondent, the price of gold per 10 grams at the Gold Market in Karol Bagh, Delhi, on Wednesday afternoon was as follows:
22-carat: Rs 1,40,600
18-carat: Rs 1,16,200
14-carat: Rs 91,700
