Gold, silver hallmarking system in limbo

KATHMANDU, Jan 21:

The government has not been able to implement hallmarking system for gold and silver jewelries due to lack of equipment for measuring quality of gold and silver.

The 92nd meeting of Nepal Standard Council (NSC) held in the second week of November last year had decided to introduce hallmarking system in gold and silver jewelries in a bid to promote Nepali jewelries in domestic and international market.

Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM) has not been able to implement the system as it lacks ´fire assay´ machines to test quality of gold and silver jewelries.

The government had introduced the hallmarking system after local jewelers were found selling gold and silver jewelries with low purity level. Some jewelers were also found mixing silver in gold jewelries.

“We have been trying hard to implement hallmarking system at the earliest. For that, we are in the process of acquiring necessary equipment to test quality of jewelries," Bishwo Babu Pudasaini, member secretary of NSC, told Republica.

According to Pudasaini, NBSM is in the process of inviting tender for acquiring ´fire assay´ equipment.

Hallmarking system is a system under which a mark or number of marks are made on gold, silver and other precious metals to confirm that their quality are up to the correct standard.

Pudasaini, who is also the director general of NBSM, ´fire assay´ machine costs around Rs 1.5 million.

NBSM will issue hallmark certification to jewelers based on some specific parameters. An NS mark will be put on silver and gold jewelries along with purity level and certification date.

Meanwhile, jewelers say they are eagerly waiting for the implementation of hallmarking system. "Hallmarking system is a globally practiced system. Its implementation will make our jewelry products competitive in the international market,” Tej Ratna Shakya, immediate past president of Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association, told Republica.

Source: Republica