Hallmark Registration

An Overview of Hallmark Registration

In India, especially women are more fascinated with gold for many years and gold is always a very safe & secure investment for Indian residents during tough times. Hence, to protect customers from adulteration and to obligate jewellers to maintain the purity of jewellery, the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) launched a Jewellers Registration Scheme. BIS introduced the Gold Hallmarking Scheme in 2000 & a Silver Hallmarking Scheme in 2005. As per the Scheme, the BIS Hallmark Registration is compulsory to sell or manufacture gold/silver jewellery. Because without proper examination or mark, it is impossible to identify the purity of gold by simply looking at it. Thus, BIS Hallmark Registration can reduce these concerns by providing all the vital information and confirming the purity of the gold.

What is Hallmarking?

It is the accurate determination & official recording of the equivalent content of precious metal (such as gold and silver) in precious metal articles. Thus, Hallmarks are legal marks used in many countries as a guarantee of the purity/fineness of precious metal articles. The primary objectives of the Hallmarking Scheme are to safeguard the public against adulteration & to obligate all the manufacturers to maintain legal standards of fineness. In India, especially two metals, namely gold & silver, have been brought under the purview of Hallmarking.

The Hallmarking Scheme has been aligned with the international criteria of Hallmarking. According to Hallmarking Scheme, Hallmark Registration is granted to the jewellers by BIS. The BIS authorised jewellers can get their jewellery hallmarked from any of the BIS recognised centers.

Importance of Hallmark Registration Certification

1. It rapidly boosts your business;
2. It gives quality assurances to jewellery products;
3. It provides customers satisfaction and builds trust among customers;
4. This Certification adds value to the precious stone & trust in jewellery;
5. Provide legal protection against any violation.

What are the different marks of a BIS Hallmark?

• Old Methods of Hallmarking Gold:

1. BIS Mark or Logo: This mark shows that a 3^rd party or independent assessor has properly evaluated the decoration & validated the purity of a metal. In most instances, it is validated by one of the BIS certified labs. The Bureau of Indian Standards is the only government-approved institution for Hallmarking gold ornaments.
2. Purity Grade: There are two ways to know the purity of gold; one is Karats which is denoted by KT and the second is Fineness Number. So, the highest grade of gold is 24KT (purest), but it is too soft to be utilised in ornamentation or jewellery. As an outcome, a trace amount of other metals, such as silver or zinc, is added to gold to create long-lasting jewellery/adornment.
3. Hallmarking Centre’s Mark: This is the Hallmarking License of the marking centre or 3^rd party evaluator. The label is stamped in every product in the centre and is inspected for purity of silver & gold. This is done so that the object may get back to the centre if any inconsistencies arise afterwards.
4. Jeweller Mark: This is the manufacturer's or jeweller's mark on the metal article and each BIS certified jeweller's decorations bear a unique jeweller BIS Hallmark Logo. All such markings are readily visible on the jewellery. If you want to know the purity of a jewellery piece, then look for these indications.
5. Marking Year: This shows the year the object was labelled or hallmarked. The marking year is recognised by a letter of code assigned by BIS. For e.g., the letter A stood for 2000 and B for 2001 and so on.

• New Methods of Hallmarking of Gold: The BIS has introduced a new method for marking jewellery and the new method contains a Unique Identification Number along with a BIS Hallmark and the purity of the metal. In 2019, the Indian Government announced that Hallmarking of gold artefacts & jewellery would be mandatory across the country. After fulfilling the terms & conditions of the Hallmark Registration Certificate as specified in Regulation 5 of the BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018, precious articles of gold marked with Hallmark shall be sold only by registered jewellers via certified sales outlets. The list of licensed jewellers can be accessed by selecting the state or region and IS Number.

Types of BIS Hallmarking Registration Certificate

There are two different types of BIS Hallmarking Registration Certificate in India and you can check the same below:

1. BIS Registration for Jewellers or Showroom: BIS Hallmarking Registration is compulsory for jewellers to manufacture or sell gold & silver jewellery. Under the Hallmarking Scheme, BIS grants Hallmarking Registration to jewellers for the specified location. A jeweller who wants to sell BIS Hallmarked gold jewellery must first obtain Hallmark Registration from BIS for each of their sales outlets. BIS-certified jewellers can have their jewellery hallmarked at BIS Assaying & Hallmarking Centres.

BIS Recognition of Assaying & Hallmarking Centre: A Hallmarking Centre is a BIS certified marking centre or 3^rd party evaluation centre where the purity of precious metals is examined & stamped. BIS recognition is required for centre and the A&H centre can apply for BIS Recognition.

Different Types of Forms for Hallmark Registration

Who is not eligible for Hallmark Registration in India?

1. In case of cancellation of Hallmark Registration under sub-regulation 1(e) of Regulation 7 of the BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018, the jeweller is not eligible to apply for Hallmark Registration Certificate before a cooling period of 1 year from the date of passing such order;
2. A jeweller who has been convicted under the provisions of the Act shall not be eligible to apply for Registration for a period of one year from the date of such conviction.

Note: The firm or person who is not eligible to apply for Hallmark Registration Certificate, but they have taken Registration via the online portal such as Registrations are liable to be cancelled by BIS.

Documents Required for Hallmark Registration

Following are some vital Documents required for Hallmark Registration:

• Proof of any company firm establishment such as:

1. Certificate of Registration issued by ROCs along with MOA (Memorandum of Association);
2. Registered Partnership Deed (in case the applicant is a partnership firm);
3. CA Certificate (in case the applicant is a Proprietorship Firm).

• Address proof of company or firm such as:

1. GST Registration Certificate;
2. Sale or Lease Deed Agreement;
3. Income Tax Assessment Order;
4. Rent Agreement with last rent receipt;
5. Latest property tax receipt;
6. Income Tax Assessment Order;
7. Registration with State Government authority.

• Id proof of the Signatory such as :

1. Copy of Aadhar Card or PAN Card or Passport or Driving License or Voter Id or Photo Id card issued by Gazetted Officer on official Letterhead;
2. Aadhar-based verification or e-signature;
3. Location map indicating the location of premises from the nearest landmark for each outlet.

• Proof of Annual Turnover:

1. Copy of GST Returns of previous Financial Year;
2. In case the firm is new, an undertaking should be taken from the firm with the estimation of expected turnover & assurance to submit GST Returns.

Procedure for Hallmark Registration in India

Step 1: Prepare Documents: First, we will help you prepare and arrange all the vital Documents for the Registration.

Step 2: Filing of Application: Once we prepare all the Documents, it's our responsibility to file an application online for the Registration on your behalf.

Step 3: Inspection: Once we submit the application and Documents along with the prescribed fees. Then, an inspection will be conducted by the inspector of the concerned BIS department.

Step 4: Issuance of Certificate: Once the inspector is fully satisfied, then they will issue a Hallmark Registration Certificate and the same we will send you through email.

How will Coprbiz help you?

Corpbiz and their dedicated legal team will help you in obtaining Hallmark Registration Certificate.