Over 17 lakh silver articles hallmarked with mandatory HUID in first three months

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) More than 17.35 lakh silver jewellery items have been hallmarked with mandatory Hallmarking Unique Identification (HUID) within three months of its implementation, reflecting strong acceptance among jewellers and consumers, official data showed.

While the Silver Hallmarking Scheme remains voluntary from September 1, 2025, HUID marking has been made mandatory for any silver article that is hallmarked.

"HUID in silver jewellery hallmarking marks a significant step forward in strengthening purity assurance and eliminating fake hallmarking practices," Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a social media post.

"With HUID mandatory on voluntarily (BIS) Hallmarked Silver articles, each piece carries a unique 6-digit identification code that enables complete digital traceability and enhanced consumer protection," Joshi added.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) made HUID mandatory for all hallmarked silver jewellery and artefacts with effect from September 1, 2025, as a major step towards consumer protection and preventing fake hallmarking.

HUID is a six-digit alphanumeric code laser-marked on each hallmarked silver article, in addition to the BIS Standard Mark, the word SILVER, and the purity grade. This unique identifier provides complete digital traceability of every hallmarked silver item.

Purity grades 925 and 800 constitute nearly 90 per cent of all hallmarked items. A significant acceleration has been observed following the introduction of HUID. In FY 2024-25, around 32 lakh silver articles were hallmarked, the data showed.

Trends in silver hallmarking show the southern region of the country leading in volume, followed by the western and eastern regions. Among product categories, payal (anklets) constitute the largest share and are predominantly hallmarked in 800 purity grade. Silver diyas follow, generally in 800 and 925 purity.

Consumers can instantly verify the authenticity of hallmarked silver jewellery by entering the HUID on the BIS CARE mobile app, available on Android and iOS.

The app displays key details such as the purity of the article, type of jewellery, details of the jeweller who submitted the article for hallmarking, and details of the Assaying & Hallmarking Centre.

The HUID system for silver builds upon the framework established for gold, where mandatory hallmarking has been implemented in a phased manner beginning June 23, 2021. Initially covering 256 districts, it has now been extended to 373 districts.

The gold hallmarking system is supported by 1,610 BIS-recognised Assaying & Hallmarking Centres and more than 2.08 lakh registered gold jewellers. Over 56 crore jewellery pieces have been hallmarked so far, with 7.81 crore pieces hallmarked in 2025-26 alone. PTI LUX SHW