The Centre Government is considering making silver jewellery and artefacts subject to mandatory hallmarking as part of efforts to strengthen consumer protection in the precious metals market, a senior Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) official said on Tuesday.
At present, unlike gold, where hallmarking is compulsory, silver hallmarking remains voluntary. According to BIS Director General Sanjay Garg, the industry has been advocating for mandatory certification of silver. BIS is currently assessing the regulatory framework and infrastructure readiness required for such a move, including assessing standards and testing capacity.
Under the voluntary hallmarking system, silver articles that are hallmarked carry a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, allowing buyers to verify purity and trace the product through the BIS database.
Adoption of hallmarking has been steadily increasing:
The review comes amid sharply rising silver prices and growing retail and investment demand, which have intensified concerns over purity and standardisation. Officials said the government is closely studying its experience with mandatory gold hallmarking to understand implementation challenges before extending similar rules to silver.
While hallmarking of silver remains optional, jewellers opting for certification must now use the HUID system, a requirement in effect since September 2025, even though mandatory hallmarking has not yet been formally notified.
Officials emphasised that no timeline has been set for making silver hallmarking compulsory. Extensive consultations with industry stakeholders and infrastructure upgrades will be required before any final decision is taken.
India is among the world’s largest consumers of silver, with annual demand estimated at 5,000–7,000 tonnes. Domestic production meets only a fraction of this, with jewellery and silverware accounting for a significant share alongside industrial consumption. As per consumer affairs ministry data, by December 31, 2025, over 23 lakh silver articles were hallmarked with HUID, indicating strong uptake among jewellers and consumers.
Silver prices experienced a phenomenal price surge of over 150% in 2025:
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Published on: Jan 7, 2026, 11:32 AM IST
Sachin Gupta
Sachin Gupta is a Content Writer with 6+ years of experience in the stock market, including global markets like the US, Canada, and Australia. At Angel One, Sachin specialises in creating financial content that simplifies complex market trends. Sachin holds a Master's in Commerce, specialising in Economics.
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