In a country like ours where the words fake, counterfeit, fraud, imitation and alike are not at all alien, rather a part of daily life we lead, there are also some which evoke a sense of fidelity in our minds. ISI, AGMARK, ECOMARK, FSSAI etc and the BIS Hallmark are a few of them. And when it comes to jewellery, particularly gold and silver jewellery we hunt for a BIS Hallmark, the revered symbol guaranteeing 100 % genuineness. India, the second biggest market in the world for gold and its jewellery has had a long love affair with it for a long time.

In Indian traditions and customs, with thousands of unique designs to cater to different tastes, jewellery is something very special with reasons broadly being adornment, gifts, investment and cultural significance.

The skills of our Indian jewellers and artisans are acknowledged all across the world, a trend which has been constant for centuries. Our products are much sought after commodities in international markets, commanding a high value largely due to its intricacy and design. But however grand and exquisite a design might be if there is something wrong in the metal aspect the product will be labelled as do numbaari instantly. It is here and why the BIS Hallmark is of huge significance. It is simply a hallmarking system for gold as well as silver jewellery sold in India certifying the purity of the metal, an assurance  that it conforms to a set of standards laid by the Bureau of Indian Standards, the national standards organization of the country. As a smart flashback we can recall that BIS system of hallmarking of gold jewellery began in April 2000 and for silver in December 2005.

 Thursday’s news about the state’s department of Legal Metrology & Consumer Affairs organizing a one-day training programme titled  “BIS Hallmarking system and proper use of weights and measures” for jewellers and goldsmiths of the Capital Complex zone must have attracted attention of many and has been viewed as a welcome complement to the efforts to give a fillip to the bullion trade scenario of Arunachal Pradesh.

One doesn’t have to be a connoisseur to remark that our tribal jewellery is as fascinating as the state itself is.  If the state’s vast stretches of largely unexplored wilderness, beautiful river valleys and mountains are the ingredients that beckon tourists, the attire and ornaments of our tribes are no less fascinating and diverse. Now this amazingly rich, artistic and aesthetic craftsmanship  on silver and gold jewellery definitely have enormous commercial value. And if we follow a logical path of thinking we can arrive at a conclusion that if BIS Hallmarks are increasingly added to these masterpieces it would be just wonderful. There would then be no iota of doubt and Arunachal’s jewellery will curve a niche by itself in the national and overseas markets in no time. These training programmes, are thus very essential if we view things strategically and on a long term basis. Also Assaying & Hallmarking centres are of equal importance in the entire bullion context of the state. More of these trainings and more of these centres, not just capital centric but pan state, coupled with our superlative tribal craftsmanship will surely propel Arunachal to  the desired  heights of the bullion world.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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