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India may soon mandate hallmarking for silver, like gold, to boost consumer protection amid record prices.
BIS Eyes Silver Hallmarking to Curb Fake Jewellery, Protect Buyers
The popular hallmarking being used in gold to check the purity level may be utilised in silver too in India amid the record-level price, according to a Moneycontrol report citing an official from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This will help ensure strengthening consumer protection and thwart attempts to sell forged jewellery and artifacts made of silver.
If everything goes according to plan, the MC report added, hallmarking on silver will become mandatory like gold.
Currently, it is a voluntary process, where hallmarked silver carry a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, offering buyers an option to verify purity and trackability via the BIS database.
Consumer can get its jewellery/sample tested from any of the BIS Recognized Assaying & Hallmarking Centre. The Assaying and Hallmarking Centres undertake the testing of Jewellery/Samples of common consumers on priority on chargeable basis.
The MC report said there’s a rising interest with over 20 lakh silver articles already hallmarked.
Demand and supply shortage, rising industry demand, and AI boom have shot up the prices of silver in the international market, with over 170 per cent jump in the past one year.
Silver’s rally continues to outshine other assets with a big margin. At the international spot market, silver was trading at $80 per ounce on January 07.
The MC reported that India is among the world’s largest consumers of silver, with annual demand estimated at 5,000–7,000 tonnes, while domestic production meets only a small part of this requirement. Jewellery and silverware together account for a significant share of consumption, alongside industrial uses.
The MC report added that there’s no timeline as and when silver hallmarking will become mandatory, with the requirement to discuss the matter with the industry stakeholders before the implementation.
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January 07, 2026, 09:42 IST
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