The BIS Hallmarking Policy Team, led by Smt. Chitra Gupta, Deputy Director General (Hallmarking), visited the silver jewellery and artefacts industry at Jaipur, on 21 January 2026, to understand the industry’s perspective on implementation of the BIS Hallmarking Scheme for silver jewellery and artefacts. During the visit, the manufacturing processes for silver jewellery and artefacts, including both casting and handmade techniques at small and large scale units, were reviewed. The National Gems and Jewellery Council of India (NGJCI) coordinated the visit.
An interactive session was subsequently held with silver jewellers and artisans of Jaipur to deliberate on various aspects of the Silver Hallmarking Scheme, Indian Standard IS 2112 “Silver and Silver Alloys, Jewellery/Artefacts — Fineness and Marking, and the assaying process. Discussions focused on the fineness grades presently covered under the Standard and those predominantly available in the market, solder purity requirements and hallmarking of artefacts as well as heavy and voluminous articles.
The jewellers informed that lead and cadmium free soldering materials are currently available and are being used by most manufacturers. They also expressed strong demand for mandatory silver hallmarking across the industry. However, it was emphasized that mandatory implementation should be undertaken in a phased manner, considering the complexity of the sector, the large volume of silver jewellery and artefacts sold across the country and the need for adequate infrastructure for both quality manufacturing and hallmarking operations. The jewellers further suggested that silver coins should also be brought under the ambit of the hallmarking scheme.
The industry visit and stakeholder interaction proved to be fruitful in providing valuable insights into the functioning of the silver jewellery sector and helped BIS gain a deeper understanding of ground-level challenges and expectations of local jewellers and artisans.