In a letter to BIS, the IBJA argued that mandatory third-party hallmarking would significantly increase costs for jewellers—costs that are likely to be passed on to consumers. The association emphasized that giving jewellers the authority to hallmark silver articles themselves would streamline operations and reduce expenses, helping keep prices affordable for buyers.

This request comes amid growing momentum for extending hallmarking to silver. Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi previously urged BIS to consider mandatory hallmarking of silver jewellery, reflecting increasing consumer demand for standardized purity seals, similar to those already required for gold.

Industry insiders say self-hallmarking could ease compliance burdens—especially on small and medium-sized jewellers—while maintaining rigorous quality standards. BIS currently requires that hallmarking of precious metals be handled through licensed assaying and hallmarking centres, with jewellers themselves limited to submitting products for testing.

Allowing jewellers to self-hallmark would represent a major evolution in policy. It would require BIS to develop new operational frameworks, including jeweller accreditation, on-site testing mandates, and compliance monitoring mechanisms.

The IBJA believes this shift would bring multiple benefits:

• Lower costs for jewellers, especially SMEs.

• Improved market efficiency through reduced administrative hurdles.

• Greater consumer confidence, with hallmarking becoming more widespread and accessible.

A BIS spokesman confirmed that discussions are ongoing and noted that any changes to hallmarking procedures would follow stakeholder consultation, revised technical guidelines, and updates to hallmarking regulations.

With India being one of the world’s largest markets for silver artefacts and jewellery, the policy outcome of this proposal could transform the industry—bolstering trust, transparency, and affordability in precious metals trade.