Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** The Bureau of Indian Standards has ramped up surveillance on hallmarked jewelry, conducting random checks at over 100 stores in Ghaziabad. Samples from eight jewelers failed to meet prescribed standards, resulting in notices and warnings of potential registration cancellation. Consumers are encouraged to verify hallmarked jewelry through certified labs.
If you are buying hallmarked jewelry and doubt the claims of standards, you can get it tested in a lab. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has intensified surveillance on such jewelry, conducting random checks at over 100 jewelry stores. During this process, samples taken from 8 jewelers were found lacking in prescribed standards, leading to action against them. Notices have been issued. The BIS has also warned that if improvements are not made, the store’s registration will be canceled. The BIS states that sellers are obligated to ensure hallmarked jewelry meets standards. However, consumers also need to be vigilant.
G. Bhavani, Branch Head of the Bureau of Indian Standards, said that random sampling is conducted entirely confidentially. Officials purchase hallmarked jewelry from the market and send it to BIS-authorized laboratories for testing. The lab checks whether the purity (carat) marked on the jewelry matches the actual purity and whether all hallmarks-related standards are followed. She stated that in the recent checks, samples from jewelers did not meet the required quality standards.
In some cases, the actual purity of the jewelry was found to be lower than the purity recorded on the hallmark, while in others, hallmark rules and quality standards were not properly followed. In such cases, show cause notices have been issued to the concerned jewelers.
G. Bhavani explained that the department’s action is phased. On the first instance of a deficiency, a notice is issued seeking a response. If no improvement is made, a second and then a third notice is sent. If rules are still not followed or a satisfactory response is not received, the concerned jeweler’s BIS registration is canceled, meaning they lose the right to sell jewelry under the BIS hallmark. She said the campaign’s aim is not to harass businesses but to protect consumer interests.