Centre explores extending mandatory hallmarking to silver amid rising prices

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• Centre considering mandatory hallmarking for silver jewellery and artefacts
• Silver hallmarking is voluntary; over 51 lakh items hallmarked in 2025.
• No timeline set; BIS evaluating infrastructure and consulting industry stakeholders

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The Centre is examining steps to bring silver jewellery and artefacts under a mandatory hallmarking regime, as part of efforts to strengthen consumer protection in the precious metals market, a senior official from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) said on Tuesday.

Currently, silver is hallmarked on a voluntary basis, unlike gold where hallmarking is mandatory. "The industry is demanding mandatory hallmarking of silver. But, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is assessing the regulatory and infrastructure requirements needed before extending mandatory hallmarking to silver, including testing capacity and assaying standards," said Sanjay Garg, Director General, BIS.

Under the existing voluntary system, hallmarked silver articles carry a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, which allows buyers to verify purity and traceability through the BIS database. Officials said uptake has been gradually improving, with over 20 lakh silver articles already hallmarked with HUID.

"Overall, voluntary hallmarking of silver has increased from 31 lakh in 2024 to 51 lakh in 2025," Garg said.

The move comes amid a sharp increase in silver prices and rising retail and investment demand for the metal, which has brought greater attention to issues of purity and standardisation. Officials said the government’s experience with implementing mandatory gold hallmarking is being studied to identify gaps and challenges before any decision on silver is finalised.

At present, hallmarking of silver itself is voluntary, meaning jewellers are not required to get their silver articles certified for purity. However, if a jeweller chooses to hallmark a silver product, it must carry a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, a six-digit alphanumeric code that allows buyers to verify purity and traceability through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) system. The requirement to use HUID for hallmarked silver articles has been in place since September 2025, even though hallmarking has not yet been made mandatory for all silver products.

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.

Officials stressed that no timeline has been fixed yet for making silver hallmarking mandatory, and that consultations with industry stakeholders and upgrades to testing infrastructure would be required before any formal notification.