BIS Enforcement Action for Non-Hallmarked Gold Jewellery
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Chennai Branch Office, conducted an enforcement search and seizure operation on September 1, 2026, at a jewellery shop in Ambattur, Chennai. During this operation, officials seized 803.99 grams of non-hallmarked gold jewellery that was found displayed for commercial sale, in violation of Section 28 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
The seized jewellery was itemized as follows: 175 mangalsutras (thalis) weighing 671.50 grams, 12 children's bangles weighing 25.02 grams, 40 earrings weighing 86.14 grams, and 10 pendants weighing 21.33 grams. The BIS enforcement team found these articles in different designs and categories being offered for sale without the required hallmarking, which provides an official indication of the purity or fineness of precious metal articles.
The operation was conducted by officials and support staff of the BIS Chennai Branch Office with assistance from local police. The seized articles have been confiscated for detailed investigation and further legal proceedings, with appropriate legal action being initiated against the concerned persons under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
Shri S. D. Dayanand, Head of the BIS Chennai Branch Office, emphasized that BIS regularly undertakes market surveillance and enforcement activities to ensure compliance with mandatory BIS certification and hallmarking requirements. He stated that such enforcement actions are crucial to prevent the sale of substandard products, check misuse of the BIS Standard Mark and Hallmark, and maintain consumer confidence in the certification and hallmarking system.
BIS clarified that under the current hallmarking system, hallmarked gold jewellery carries the BIS logo, purity/fineness designation, and a six-digit Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number. Consumers can verify the authenticity of hallmarked jewellery using the BIS CARE app to check the HUID.