Any assaying centre set up in accordance with requirements specified in IS 15820:2009 for assaying and hallmarking of gold/silver jewellery/artefacts shall apply online in the BIS portal; www.manakonline.in . The recognition of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centre is done by BIS after ensuring that the Centre has requisite infrastructure and quality management system as per IS 15820 : 2009 and also employees trained and competent manpower. Steps to apply for recognition of assaying and hallmarking centre are available on BIS website: https://www.bis.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Guide_to_apply_for_recognitio_2021.pdf
No, the jewellery will be rejected and sent back to the jewellers.
No. However, depending on work load or any other reason the AHC can inform the jeweller that the testing will be delayed. AHC should also ensure that First In, First Out (FIFO) principle is being followed.
Yes, AHC can return the jewellery which not found to be in accordance with the details of purity or weight declared by the jeweller.
The information provided by the AHC in the delivery voucher are as follows:
Details of AHC (Name and address)
Details of Jeweller(Name and address)
Details of accepted items for hallmarking (Weight and Quantity of individual items
Details of rejected items
Weight of Article returned, weight of cornet and weight of scrapping
The new Assaying & Hallmarking system helps to prevent fake or fraudulent Hallmarking in the following ways:
i. A provision is made in the portal to record the date and time during which the activities of Assaying and Hallmarking have been carried out. This will help in real time monitoring of the activities at Assaying and Hallmarking Centres. The time stamp of each activity at AHC can be used to calculate the total time taken for the completion of the entire process, starting with receipt of jewellery in the portal to dispatch of the hallmarked jewellery. This will provide a clear picture of whether the Assaying process was genuinely carried out before laser marking or not.
ii. The digital solution is also equipped with a provision to verify the authenticity of the hallmarked jewellery by the introduction of 6 digit HUID number which shall be laser marked on the jewellery. This HUID number is unique and will be helpful in identifying the Jeweller who has got the article hallmarked or A&H Centre who has hallmarked the article. Customer can also verify the HUID number in the BIS Care App using the ‘Verify HUID’ feature
On failure of the entire lot of jewellery, the details of the rejected items will be displayed in the delivery voucher.
The AHC shall ensure that the jewellery/artefacts are hallmarked and kept ready along with the cornets for delivery to the client within 48 hrs as per the provisions given in IS 15820.
An Off-Site Centre is an extended arm of parent AHC and has all the facilities as required for AHC except the facilities for fire assay.
The liability of an offsite centre shall be same as Assaying and Hallmarking Centre.
A maximum of 5 offsite centres within a radius of 100 kms are permitted for each parent A&H Centre having fire assay lab.
Yes.
A subsidy (30% to 75% of the cost of equipment) is provided under the central assistance scheme of the government for setting up AHCs at deficient locations. It is not applicable to the offsite centres.
In case a sample fails manufacturer/ jeweller who got the article hallmarked is held responsible. However, in case manufacturer complaints that the sample has been tampered with in the supply chain, an investigation will be carried out at all points in the supply chain to verify the complaint. Action will be taken only after thorough enquiry.
In case any error is reported during the hallmarking process of a hallmarked article/articles due to which incorrect data has been captured/is being reflected in the portal, investigation will be carried out at all three points/stakeholders i.e. jeweller, AHC and AHC portal.
(i) Hallmarking of bullion is being done on voluntary basis by BIS licensed refineries. In case the hallmarked bullion finds to be failing then complaint may be made to BIS.
(ii) In case of un-hallmarked bullion, the responsibility lies with the jeweller to ensure the purity of the jewellery.
(iii) In case a jewellery is found to be non-conforming at an AHC, the jewellery will be returned to the jeweller.
As these will be manufactured separately so either they are detachable or are joint together, in either case each part should be hallmarked separately.
As per provisions of Section 18 (7) of BIS Act, 2016, Where a certified body or licence holder or his representative has sold goods, articles, processes, system or services, which bear a Standard Mark or any colourable imitation thereof, which do not conform to the relevant standard, the Bureau shall direct the certified body or licence holder or his representative to-
i. repair or replace or reprocess the standard marked goods, article, process, system or service in a manner as may be specified; or
ii. pay compensation to the consumer as may be prescribed by the Bureau. As per Rule 49 (1) Where a certified body or license holder or his representative has sold goods, articles, processes, system or services, which bear a Standard Mark or any colourable imitation thereof, which do not conform to the relevant standard, and where the Bureau decides that the certified body or license holder or his representative shall pay compensation under clause (b), of sub-section (7) of section 18 of the Act, then the compensation payable in such case shall be two times the selling price of the non-conforming goods, article, process, system or service, and the testing charges: Provided that in case of precious metal article not conforming to the relevant standards, such compensation shall be two times the amount of difference calculated on the basis of shortage of purity for the weight of such article sold and the testing charges.
The customer can directly approach jeweller for compensation in case the hallmarked jewellery retested by him in any BIS recognized AHC is found of less than the declared purity.
Further if complaint is made to BIS, BIS follows a well-defined complaint redressal procedure involving investigation at complainant end as well as accused end including registered jewellers as well AHC. Any action will be taken as per BIS Act, 2016, Rules and regulations(Hallmarking) only after the thorough investigation.
