BIS to Expand Silver Jewellery Hallmarking Labs

Rising gold prices are driving growing consumer interest in silver jewellery, prompting the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to expand hallmarking testing facilities across the country. A senior BIS official said the organisation plans to strengthen its network of referral and assay laboratories for silver over the next two years. Silver hallmarking has been voluntary in India since 2005, while a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number has been issued on hallmarked silver articles since September 2025, enabling consumers to verify the purity of their purchases.

BIS Deputy Director General (Laboratories) Nishat S. Haque said the organisation has assessed the growing demand and is prepared to undertake silver jewellery testing on a larger scale. According to official data, the number of hallmarked silver jewellery articles increased significantly from 32 lakh in 2024-25 to 59 lakh in 2025-26. BIS expects its existing laboratories to meet the requirement for the next two years while simultaneously expanding referral and assay laboratory facilities across the country.