Overview of Assaying and Hallmark Centre

The Indian Government has been trying very hard to the direction the hallmarking of gold & silver jewellery, and a hallmark indicates the actual gold and silver content in a precious article made of precious metals like gold & silver that you buy. BIS Hallmark is a verification process in India that validates the purity of gold & silver jewellery sold. The jewellery is tested and appropriately marked in BIS approved Assaying and Hallmark Centre present in various regions of India. BIS outline the process for granting permission, suspending a license, renewing a license, and cancelling recognition of the Assaying & Hallmark Centre. 

What do you understand by Assaying and hallmark Centres?

Assaying and Hallmark Centres (AHCs) test jewellery pieces individually to ensure that proper standards are followed in their making. The hallmarked products do carry the assured cartage of gold and silver. Assaying and Hallmark Centres will certify the purity of gold jewellery of 22k, 18k, and 14k, 6 grades for the silver jewellery, gold coin, and medallions of 24k. Only when the assaying and hallmark centre assays the article and assigns a hallmark can it be of certified purity.

Why Assaying and Hallmark Centre are essential?

These centres ensure that the gold or silver articles sold by the jeweller are of the claimed cartage. When the jeweller registers and submits their articles for hallmarking online, the time & date are recorded, beginning with the gold or silver article receipt at the Assaying and Hallmark centre to the discharge of the hallmarked article. This is the purpose of helping in tracking the product for all parties involved.

 Exception for Assaying & Hallmark Centre from hallmarking any Precious Articles:

• Articles weighing not more than 2g;
• Any article for export which observes any condition required by foreign buyers;
• Jewellers with a turnover of not more than Rs. 40 lakhs annually;
• Jewellers using polka, jadaau, and Kundan techniques are exempt from hallmarking.

The documents required for the Recognition of Assaying and Hallmark Centre

Following are some essential documents required for the Recognitions of Assaying and Hallmark Centre:

• Establishment proof of the firm or company

1. Certification of Registration (CoR) grant by Registrar of Companies along with MoA;
2. Submit Registered Partnership Deed, if any Partnership Firm;
3. Original Certificate from a CA (Chartered Accountant), if any, the applicant is a Proprietorship Firm.

• Address Proof Of Firm

1. Income Tax evaluation Order;
2. GST Registration Certificate;
3. Sale or Lease Deed Agreement;
4. Registration with State Government department or Trade Licenses;
5. Property tax receipt;
6. Rent Agreement.

• Identity Proof Of The Applicant:

1. Aadhar verification or e-signature;
2. Self-certified copy of Aadhar Card/ Driving License/Voter ID or Passport or PAN Card or ID Certificate and photo grant by Gazetted Officer.

• Map the location of premises from the nearest landmark.
• Affidavit seed undertaking.
• Purity manual of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres prepared based on Generic Quality Manual provided by BIS.

Procedure for Getting Assaying and Hallmark Centre Recognition

1. Primly, you need to file and submit the application form online along with all the documents we mentioned above;
2. After you submit all the vital documents and applications, then they will go for the testing by the BIS;
3. Then BIS Officers will examine the application and check the documents;
4. If the officers are satisfied with all the documents and applications per the mentioned format, they will grant Assaying and Hallmark Centre Registration.

Conditions for the Rejection of Assaying and Hallmark Centre Registration Application

Under the following circumstance, the application made by the applicant for granting recognition may be rejected:

1. The applicant has made the application right away after the case of misuse of Hallmark or any disobey under Section 14 or 15 of BIS Act, 2016 discovered on the applicant's part;

2. A prosecution case is pending or the application in Section 29 of the BIS Act.

Note: The firm/applicants falling in any of the circumstances mentioned above are not eligible to apply for the grant Certificate until they are free from changes. In case of sentence under Section 29 of the Act, such application or firm is not eligible to obtain of grant for one year from the date of such conviction.

Guidelines for Setting up OSC by the BIS recognised Assaying and Hallmark Centre.

Following are some essential guidelines for setting On-Site Centre (OSC) by the BIS recognised Assaying and Hallmark Centres:

1. An On-Site Centre can be erected by an A & H Centre in any district subject to the conditions that one Annaying Hallmark Centre have more than 5 On-Site Centre attached to it & the distance of an On-Site Centre can't be more than 100 Km from the parent Assaying and Hallmark Centre. AHC hallmark a minimum of 500 articles per day on an average shall be obligated to establish an OCS or AHC in one uncovered district;
2. An OSC shall have all the AHC functions as set up by BIS for the hallmark of gold jewellery except fire
3. evaluation;
4. It will be the liability of the parent A&H Centre to perform the fire evaluation of the jewellery collect at an On-Sire Centre;
5. After making all the essential arrangements, Assaying and Hallmark Centre may apply to the Zonal Office of BIS for the approval for off-site workings with accomplished information as needed for an A & H Centre, along with the information of the methodology for forwarding of samples from the On-Site Centre to the parent A&H Centre and the receipt of Assay Test Report and remnants of examining by the OSC from that place;
6. The A&H Centre shall need to apply in the format & through the portal as instructed by the BIS;
7. On-Site Centre shall have to examine anpersonnel comprising a Quality Manager, as required for A&H Centre, except the personnel required for the fire assay process. The Manger of the parent AHC shall, however, the overall quality in a change of both On-Site Centre and AHC;
8. If an On-Site Centre is suggested in a region other than one in which the Assaying and Hallmark Centre is located, they should apply to the Regional Office of BIS, which has the zonal jurisdiction over that A&H Centre;
9. On-Site Centre shall have all examine gears as required for AHC except the gears required for the fire assay process;
10. The Regional Office of the Bureau must take the following steps after receipt of the application;

• confirm the past performance of the AHC & its preparation in terms of labour & infrastructure for fire assay.
• Throw out of the application within 3 days of the receipt of the audit report, subject to the applicant had taken significant action as required by the audit report.
• Classify audit at off-site and parent locations to verify arrangements according to the standard set by the BIS for the identification of Assaying and Hallmark Centres.

11. BIS has the power to suspend & stop the operations of an On-Site Centre if it’s not found to be working correctly. However, the parent A&H Centre shall be given an opportunity of being heard before the recognition of an On-Site Centre is terminated;
12. The AHC shall include the OSC-wise details in the report or return to be filed to the BIS in the format laid down by the BIS;
13. There will be no renewal fee for On-Site Centre, and its recognition shall obey resume on the renewal of identification of the parent Assaying and Hallmark Centre;
14. In case of de-recognition or cancel of parent AHC, the permission for all On-Site Centre operations shall also stand withdrawn automatically;
15. The parent AHC shall be accountable for corrective action for the violation of norms and conditions for the hallmarking at an On-Site Centre as if the told violation had happened at the parent AHC;
16. No application fee or recognition fee will be required to be paid for an On-Site Centre.

Contact SWARIT Advisors to obtain Recognition for Assaying and Hallmark Centre.

It is clear from above that A&H Centre Recognition needs lots of documentation & paperwork, and it requires some amount of field-based knowledge.

At SWARIT Advisors, will be able to access the following advantage:

• All documentation work
• Help you in applying on your behalf
• Regular follow up with BIS
• End to end support

Frequently Asked Questions