Consumers seek mandatory hallmarking on silver jewellery

Indian consumers are keen to see hallmarking of silver jewellery made mandatory amid the predious metal’s increasing popularity and following the introduction of mandatory gold hallmarking by the Bureau of Indian Standards. 

“Hallmarking of silver jewellery is currently voluntary,” said the minister for public distribution and consumer affairs Pralhad Joshi at the Bureau of Indian Standards’ 78th foundation day, ET Bureau reported. “But consumers are demanding to make it mandatory.”

The Bureau of Indian Standards introduced mandatory gold hallmarking on jewellery and all other gold products in June 2021 and rolled out the directive in a phased manner across the country with the aim of enabling smaller businesses to prepare for the shift. To date, the organisation has hallmarked approximately more than 442.8 million gold articles, the Economic Times reported. 

One of the reasons for introducing mandatory gold hallmarking was to increase consumer trust in the industry. The move was also in line with the organisation of the Indian fine jewellery market. Many large scale businesses already hallmarked their products but a large portion of the unorganised market did not. 

Silver jewellery sales have recently increased in India and reports by Augmont Gold for All and the All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council both expect sales to continue to rise significantly in 2025. This past Dhanteras, silver sales surpassed gold sales for the first time as the precious metal continued to gain popularity as an investment, according to the Indian Bullion and Jewellers Association, the Times of India reported.