Home International Gems NewsIndia Silver Jewellery Hallmarking Goes Digital with Traceability

India Silver Jewellery Hallmarking Goes Digital with Traceability

by Kittisak Meepoon
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Key points

  • The initiative, rolled out by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and implemented by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), ensures that consumers can now verify the purity of silver articles with ease and accuracy.
  • It reflects a growing recognition that in today’s jewellery trade, digital traceability is not just a feature — it is a necessity.
  • For the jewellery industry, this is more than regulation — it is the start of a new era of integrity and accountability that will shape how silver jewellery is bought and sold in the years to come.

Gems News: A Bold Step to Protect Consumers

India has officially introduced voluntary hallmarking for silver jewellery starting September 1, bringing in a major shift that adds transparency, trust, and digital traceability to the trade. The initiative, rolled out by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and implemented by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), ensures that consumers can now verify the purity of silver articles with ease and accuracy.

All Silver Jewelry in India will soon be hallmarked with easy digital identification
Image Credit: ShutterStock

According to officials, this move is designed to boost consumer confidence while also streamlining the jewellery trade. In the heart of this transformation, this Gems News report highlights how traceability is being put front and center, making malpractice and fraudulent purity claims far more difficult.

The New Purity Grades and Standards

The revised BIS hallmarking standard, IS 2112:2025, has replaced the earlier 2014 version, expanding the scope for purity grades. The new framework introduces seven recognized grades — 800, 835, 925, 958, 970, 990, and 999. The addition of 958 and 999 purity grades represents a new level of assurance for buyers who demand higher-quality silver. Each hallmark will now consist of three critical components: the BIS Standard Mark labeled with the word “SILVER,” the designated purity grade, and a Hallmarking Unique Identification (HUID) code. This makes every piece traceable, aligning silver hallmarking with the existing gold hallmarking system.

How Consumers Benefit from Digital Traceability

A major highlight of the new system is its integration with the BIS Care mobile application. Using this digital tool, consumers can instantly access details about the jewellery they purchase, including article type, purity, hallmarking date, jeweller registration number, and testing center information. This level of detail ensures a much safer purchasing environment, allowing buyers to steer clear of counterfeit or under-purity products.

The current jewelry hallmarking system in India
Image Credit: BIS

National Rollout and Market Impact

At present, around 230 Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) accredited by BIS operate across 87 districts of India. In the financial year 2024–25, more than 3.2 million silver articles were hallmarked, demonstrating both demand and compliance across the industry. A consultation held in August 2025 gathered more than 80 stakeholders, including jewellers, testing centres, and consumer representatives, to finalize the details of the rollout. This collaborative effort underpins the government’s intent to make silver hallmarking a widely accepted standard across the nation.

Awareness and Consumer Safeguards

Beyond just regulatory changes, BIS is actively running awareness campaigns across its branch offices and social media channels. These initiatives are crucial in educating both jewellers and customers about the importance of HUID-based hallmarking. The government hopes the measure will not only safeguard consumers but also uplift India’s reputation as a reliable hub for quality silver jewellery.

Hallmarking of all silver jewellery will be beneficial for all consumers
Image Credit: StockShots

Strengthening Trust in India’s Silver Market

This new hallmarking system represents a decisive move toward transparency and consumer protection. It introduces new purity grades, incorporates a digital verification process, and strengthens accountability in the jewellery trade. By enabling buyers to independently verify every piece, the initiative directly counters malpractice and instills confidence in India’s silver market. This strategic step will likely encourage more consumers to invest in silver jewellery, knowing that their purchases come with guaranteed quality. Ultimately, it reflects a growing recognition that in today’s jewellery trade, digital traceability is not just a feature — it is a necessity.

This new hallmarking initiative demonstrates India’s commitment to consumer rights while modernizing an industry that touches millions of households. It sets the stage for a future where purity and trust are guaranteed, helping both consumers and honest jewellers thrive. For the jewellery industry, this is more than regulation — it is the start of a new era of integrity and accountability that will shape how silver jewellery is bought and sold in the years to come.

For the latest on new hallmarking initiatives for silver jewellery, keep on logging to Gems News.

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