A S M Jobaer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Cropped.
Jewellers in 19 of Madhya Pradesh's 55 districts must sell only hallmarked gold jewellery, under a fresh central order that widens mandatory hallmarking to 398 districts across 26 states and union territories.
The Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts (Fourth Amendment) Order, dated November 2 and published in the Gazette on November 7, replaces the list of districts where the rule applies. The previous list covered 392.
In Madhya Pradesh, the covered districts are Balaghat, Bhopal, Bhind, Chhatarpur, Chhindwara, Dewas, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Katni, Khandwa, Morena, Neemuch, Ratlam, Rewa, Satna, Ujjain, Sagar and Vidisha. Sehore and Raisen, both next to Bhopal, are not on the list, nor are Narmadapuram and Shivpuri.
A hallmarked piece carries three marks: the BIS logo, a purity mark such as 22K916, and a six character Hallmark Unique Identification code. Buyers can check that code on the free BIS CARE app, which since June also shows a photograph and the recorded weight of the item, according to a Press Information Bureau backgrounder.
Hallmarking costs more now. The Bureau of Indian Standards raised the fee for gold from ₹45 to ₹75 an article from September 14. Silver stays at ₹35, and silver hallmarking remains voluntary.
The bureau has also invited expressions of interest for new assaying and hallmarking centres for 2026 to 2031, targeting districts that have none. Zee Business reported that support of up to 30 per cent of machinery cost is on offer for private centres in general areas, with more in rural and special category regions. The last date is November 18, and jewellers themselves cannot apply.
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