Mr. Dinesh Parekh welcomed the speakers and the audience. He stated more than 800 tons of gold are consumed in India . There is no standardization of gold in India like in western countries. In order to educate the consumers CFBP has organized this seminar on “Are You Buying Pure Gold?”..

Mr. Subash Chander Gogia then introduced the speaker Mr. A. S. Basu, Dy. Director, BIS, Dr. S. L. Palkar, Director, BIS and Mr. Anil Kansara, of Gujarat – Design Hallmarking Centre, and Mr. R. K. Nagarkar, General Manager of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri. Gold is liquid investment in our country. There are so many jewellers in our country but very few are registered and trade in Hallmarked Jewellery.

Ignorance and lack of awareness among the consumers have lead to buy gold from unrecognized jewellers. In that process customers pay more for less purity of gold. He then welcomed Mr. A. S. Basu, Dy. Director General, BIS to give his Key note address. Mr. Basu stated that in Indian Gold Market, a huge cheating of gold by under-karting going on. For this purpose the Govt. of India have set up a Committee to find out ways for marking the gold as prevailed in United Kingdom .

Thus in the year 2000 the BIS Hallmarking was started. In UK if a jeweller is found doing mischief of under-karting, a severe punishment is meted out to him, but in India the scenario is different. BIS tries to safegard the interests of consumers by educating them to approach the recognized jewellers who sell hallmarked jewellery. He said in India about 800 tonnes of gold are consumed in a year out of that 680 tonnes are used in jewellery trade. The BIS recently undertook survey of 15 samples out of which only two samples were passed. It was found that 80% samples drawn were under kartage. This is present market scenario in our country. BIS hallmark is an official testing in systematic manner, help enhance the business and as well as export. The BIS undertakes presently about 20 tonnes of gold for hallmarking. It is proposed to increase the quantity to 80% of the gold consumption in the country. He appealed to the consumers to demand for hallmarked jewellery in order to ensure quality &purity.

Thereafter Dr. S. L. Palkar, Director, BIS gave the following presentation

Total Consumption	About 800 Tonnes
used for jewellery	80%
used for investment	15%
used for industrial use	5%

Manufacturing Activity:

• About 1,00,000 small scale units, (Jewellers - both retailers & manufacturers)
• About 100 Large Scale units, having mechanized factories
• Over 2 million persons are engaged in jewellery making

BIS Hallmarking Scheme for Gold Jewellery:

• Operates under BIS Act,1986
• Voluntary
• Indian standards for purity of Gold and its assaying are equivalent to International Standards
• Jewellers to get BIS licence for getting the Jewellery hallmarked
• Jewellery to be assayed and hallmarked by BIS recognized Hallmarking centres only.
• BIS launched this scheme in Apr 2000. Licences granted as on today 1235 under WRO (MDM-II – 562) & all India - 3647

BIS Hallmarking Scheme:

Indian Hallmark consists of following:

• BIS Mark
  Purity / fineness Mark
  Hallmarking Centre's Mark/logo (one of the logos as displayed on BIS website
  Jeweller's Mark/logo
  
• Year of Marking – denoted by a code letter e.g.
  ‘A' for year 2000 ‘B' for year 2001
  ‘C' for year 2002 ‘D' for year 2003
  ‘E' for year 2004 ‘F' for year 2005
  ‘G'for year 2006

HALLMARKING CENTRES UNDER WESTERN REGION (13 Nos)

• Leo Analytics Lab, Mumbai
• Mahavir Hallmarking Centre, Mumbai
• Varsha Bullion Hallmarking Centre, Mumbai
• Mahalaxmi Hallmarking Centre, Mumbai
• PGD Gold Checks Pvt Ltd., Mumbai
• Mahavir Hallmarking Centre, Pune
• Gujarat Gold Hallmarking Centre, Ahmedabad
• Gujarat Gold Hallmarking Centre, Baroda
• Kesar Hallmarking Centre, Ahmedabad
• V G Gold Hallmarking Centre, Rajkot
• Indian Diamond Institute, Surat
• Variety Hallmarking Centre, Mumbai
• G S Hallmarking & Refinery Pvt Ltd., Mumbai
• Total Centres = 43 on all India basis

Mr. Anil Kansara, Dy. Director, Gujarat Hallmarking Centre stated that the hallmarking center functions under the guidance of BIS. It is necessary that the Centre should be well equipped and train the staff for testing efficiently. Once the center is established, persons from BIS technical experts will visit the Centre for assaying. Once the hallmarking Centre is recognized by BIS, then the Centre can start accept samples for hallmarking. He said the consumers should look for the Hallmark while buying the hallmarked jewellery.

Mr. Nagarkar explained that very few jewelllers are dealing in hallmarked jewellery. Even now traditional faith is adopted by consumers in buying gold jewellery. Consumers still blindly approach unrecognized jewellery shop who cheat them by giving under karated Gold Jewellery. Consumers should be educated about the benefit of buying hallmarked jewellery.

Thereafter the questions from audience were suitably answered by the speakers.The seminar concluded with a Vote of thanks proposed by Mr. Deepak Kapadia, Hon. Treasurer, CFBP.

 

Top