# Gold jewellery gets ‘sold’ tag to stop hallmark misuse

2026-08-13T01:44:12+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

Each piece of gold jewellery will be tagged as 'sold' against its unique Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number after purchase, under a government plan to prevent reuse of the code on stolen items. The proposal, still at the discussion stage, targets India's Rs 7.4 lakh crore jewellery market, where snatching and theft are common. Mandatory rules are likely to start with urban organised retailers and later extend to the unorganised sector, which holds 84% of the market. Misuse of the hallmark can draw up to one year in jail or a fine of at least Rs 1 lakh under the BIS Act. Industry reaction is mixed: some jewellers worry about higher compliance costs for custom pieces, while others say the system will improve transparency and curb malpractices.

## Coverage

- livemint.com <https://www.livemint.com/news/india/gold-hallmarking-to-get-sold-tag-to-protect-buyers-11786533635445.html>

Tags: BIS, consumer protection, gold hallmarking, HUID, stolen jewellery
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