From April 1, 2023, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will forbid the sale of gold jewellery or artefacts that lack a six-digit alphanumeric hallmark unique identification number (HUID). The government's announcement on Saturday aims to safeguard consumers and boost their trust when purchasing hallmarked gold jewellery. According to official sources, this measure will guarantee traceability and ensure the quality of gold jewellery.

The Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number is a combination of six letters and numbers used for identification purposes. It's worth noting that since June 23, 2021, the BIS has successfully enforced Mandatory Hallmarking in 256 districts across the country, with over 300,000 gold articles being stamped with HUID on a daily basis.

To authenticate hallmarked gold jewellery items with HUID numbers, consumers can use the "verify HUID" feature within the 'BIS CARE' app. The app offers data on the jeweller who had the article hallmarked, their registration number, the article's purity, type, and the hallmarking centre that tested and stamped the article. By utilizing this information, a consumer can compare the article type and purity to verify the purchased product.