Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 16: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has revised hallmarking charges for gold and silver articles, increasing the fee for gold to Rs 75 from the existing Rs 45 per article, while retaining the charge for silver at Rs 35.
The revised charges have come into effect immediately through the BIS (Hallmarking) Amendment Regulations, 2026, notified on September 14, ahead of the festive season.
Under the amended Schedule IV, jewellers will have to pay a hallmarking fee of Rs 75 per gold article, subject to 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 charge 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 indicating purity, and a six-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number.
The increase in the gold hallmarking fee has drawn concern from the All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), which urged the government and BIS to immediately review the decision and retain the existing charge until consultations with stakeholders are held.
GJC Chairman Rajesh Rokde questioned the need for increasing the per-article charge from Rs 45 to Rs 75 at a time when hallmarking volumes have expanded significantly.
"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," he said.
Rokde said the priority should instead be on tackling fake hallmarking, unauthorised operations and non-compliance before increasing the financial burden on jewellers who follow the prescribed regulations.
GJC Vice Chairman Avinash Gupta said compliance must remain commercially sustainable for the organised jewellery sector.
"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," Gupta said.
He also raised concerns over aggressive discounting and commercial inducements among hallmarking centres in the race to increase hallmarking volumes.
The GJC has called for greater stakeholder consultation before the revised charges are implemented, while emphasising the need to ensure that the hallmarking system remains transparent and commercially sustainable for compliant jewellers.
The revised fee structure comes at a time when demand for gold and silver jewellery typically rises during the festive and wedding season, making the increase a matter of concern for jewellery industry stakeholders.