JEWELRY CERTIFICATION

Hallmarking for Gold and Silver A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of precious metalsplatinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term hallmark can also be used to refer to any distinguishing characteristic or trait. Hallmarking is the accurate determination and official recording of the proportionate content of precious metal in precious metal (gold or silver) articles. Hallmarks are thus official marks used in many countries as a guarantee of purity or fineness of precious metal (gold or silver) articles.

Objective: To protect consumer against victimization due to irregular gold or silver quality, develop India as a leading gold market center in the World and to develop export competitiveness, Government of India took the cognizance and understood the necessity of protecting the public in its purchases of gold jewelry especially with regard to standards of fineness and the prevention of adulteration, be it deliberate or accidental. The principle objectives of the Hallmarking Scheme are to protect the public against the fraud of adulteration and to oblige manufacturers to maintain legal standards of fineness.

Establishment of System Taking cognizance of these aspects the RBI Standing Committee on Gold and Precious Metals opined that introduction of a Hallmarking System would not only protect the public from fraud, but also assist exports of jewelry. While agreeing on this the Committee reckoned that compulsory certification of gold would not be implementable on account of the massive structure of trade. Recommending the pursuance of a voluntary scheme, it emphasized the deviations in purity of fine metal should invoke penalties under legislation and BIS was named as the sole agency in the country for Hallmarking of gold jewelry under the provisions of the BIS Act, 1986. BIS, as the National Standards Body of India is primarily engaged in the preparation and promotion of standards and operation of different quality certification schemes. In this context, the BIS Precious Metals Sectional Committee (MTD 10) has formulated and published the following Indian Standards on Gold and Gold Alloys: a) IS 1417 Grades of gold and gold alloys, Jewellery/Artefacts-Fineness and Marking b) IS 1418 Assaying of Gold in Gold Bullion, Gold alloys and Gold Jewellery/ Artefacts Cupellation (Fire Assay Method) c) IS 2790 Guidelines for manufacture of 23,22,21,18,14 and 9 carat gold alloy d) IS 3095 Gold Solders for use in manufacture of Jewellery

Activities under hallmarking Provide third party assurance and satisfaction that customer gets right purity of gold (or silver) for the given price (value for money). It will provide clear indication of his capability, strong evidence of commitment to quality and assurance of consistency in purity and quality of gold (or silver) jewelry. It is a voluntary scheme being operated by BIS under the BIS Act 1986. BIS is operating the scheme through its network of Regional/ Branch Offices all over the country. As per this scheme the license is granted to a jeweler for certification of purity of gold (or silver) jewelry in accordance with IS 1417 (IS 2112 for Silver). A licensee jeweler has to get the jewelry hallmarked through any of the BIS recognized Assaying and hallmarking centers

Procedure for grant of license to jewelers To get BIS certification, jeweler needs to apply to the concerned Branch office of BIS in the prescribed application form along with necessary documents and fees for obtaining a license. Application Form with details of documents to be submitted and fees applicable are available on BIS website. After grant of license, jeweler is to get the Jewelry hallmarked from a BIS recognized Assaying & Hallmarking Centre. It is the prime responsibility of the license holder to ensure declared fineness and homogeneity of jewelry offered for hallmarking.

Control Regular surveillance audit of Assaying and hallmarking centers and testing of random market samples drawn from licensee jewelers is carried out. Renewal of recognition of hallmarking centers and jewelers is based on performance every three years. If any jeweler or assaying and hallmarking center is not found conforming to the requirements, action is taken as per laid down procedure so that credibility of scheme is maintained.

Gold Hallmark consists of following i) BIS Mark

ii)

Purity grade/fineness (it can be any one of the following ) 958-Corresponds to 23 Carat 916-Corresponds to 22 Carat 875-Corresponds to 21 Carat 750-Corresponds to 18 Carat 585-Corresponds to 17 Carat 375-Corresponds to 14 Carat 708-Corresponds to 9 Carat Assaying/Hallmarking Centres Identification Mark (one of the logos as displayed on BIS website) Year of Marking denoted by a code letter e.g. A for year 2000 B for year 2001 C for year 2002 D for year 2003 E for year 2004 F for year 2005 G for year 2006 H for year 2007 J for year 2008

iii)

iv)

v)

Jewelers Identification Mark

Following image shows all the elements of a gold hallmark

Silver Hallmark consists of following i) BIS Mark ii) Purity grade/fineness (it can be any one of the following) 999.9, 999.5, 999 -Fine Silver 970, 925, 835, 900, 800 -Silver alloys for jewelry, artifacts iii) Assaying/Hallmarking Centres Identification Mark (one of the logos as displayed on BIS website) iv) Year of Marking denoted by a code letter e.g.J for year 2008 v) Jewelers Identification Mark

Certification of Diamonds
The value of a precious stone is determined by its gemological makeup, natural rarity and finished quality. Diamonds and gemstones of similar appearance can have important differences in value. Even experts need powerful analytic tools to detect synthetics, treatments and enhancement processes. An IGI Certificate clearly discloses the details of any item it accompanies, providing confidence for both buyer and seller. Gemstones should only change hands when accompanied by a certificate attesting to quality. Regardless of location or marketplace, an authentic IGI Laboratory Report is the common language of trust and confidence in the gemological world, and should be considered an essential part of any transaction.

Importance of certification reports

Reports give an accurate assessment of a diamond's cut, color, clarity and carat weight according to strict international standards. Reports are issued for diamonds of any size; a plotted diagram of the characteristics and a graphic representation of proportions appear on many of our documents. First point to come in mind is that the certificate is an experts assurance that we got what we paid for. If this assurance is to have any weight, it must come from 3rd party, independent expert with the necessary credentials. It must not come from an expert, employed by the selling company or in the form of evaluation, from a rival company, offering you a better deal. The certificate has as much credibility as the company you are buying it from. Even AGS or GIA certificates become useless pieces of paper if they come with the wrong diamond, so before you start pondering the choice between two similar stones with GIA and EGL certificates, checkup the merchants credentials. Second point is that the certificate is assurance of the investment value of diamond in future, and this is where the borders are starting to blur. Anything bought with investment in mind, should have a reasonable increase in value in time in order to be sold with profit. Although diamonds generally have steady growth due to proper managing of the market, only certain sizes and qualities have reasonable investment merit. Extensive statistics are not the purpose of this article and are available for those who want to know more. A Diamond is an investment in beauty and pride of ownership, but not an investment upon which one can reasonably expect to make a profit. Remember, that when you buy, someone is making a profit. A profit, which your diamond has first to cover with its value growth before you are legible for any profit, and for 1.5 carat H-SI1, although a beautiful stone, this is not going to happened in the near future.

The certificate of pedigree origin (AGS, GIA) is an important issue when it comes to investment quality diamond. For anything less, a good origin certificate is a bonus, as long as it does not add up to the price, otherwise EGL or the likes will do perfectly well. Recently I have read a forum discussion, where a woman was asking for an advice in order to make the right choice between two diamonds with seemingly identical characteristics. The one was GIA and the other EGL certified. With a difference in the price of almost 30% she was still in doubt. Different experts pointed out that with such a vast difference there should be something wrong with the cheaper one. No one considered, that may be the expensive one was overpriced because of its certificate origin. Let me put this different way. If the two stones are graded the same color, clarity and cut, how much of generosity in the grading of the one stone will command a price difference of 30%? The diamond report is an important document for any diamond over 0.30ct as a document of authenticity, treatment disclosure and for insurance purposes. The credibility of the diamond merchant is more important than the certificate origin and is good to be addressed in respective order.

Certification of diamond jewelry

Without disassembling heirlooms or complex pieces, IGI has developed techniques for providing expert and impartial analysis of a jewelry item's precious stones, total carat weight, color, clarity, natural origin, and details of mounting. Clear documentation and photographs are issued for every item. These standardized photos are extremely useful for consumers, showing details of craftsmanship that may not be visible otherwise. "As mounting permits" is an important distinction used on IGI Jewelry Identification Reports. This means that the presence of metal parts surrounding the gemstone(s) allowed providing detailed information but perhaps not as accurately as in an un-mounted situation. In these cases the words "approximate" and "range" is clearly used in descriptors. Ultimately some pieces may require un-mounting if the style or makeup prevents our gemologists from performing the scientific tests necessary for meaningful assessment.

Elements of Diamond Certification

Carat The weight or size of a diamond is measured in carats (ct.). One carat weighs 1/5 of a gram and is divided into 100 points, so a diamond weighing 1.07carat is referred to as "one carat and seven points." For Example 0.75 carat = 75 points. 1/2 carat = 50 points. 1/4 carat = 25 points. It is important to note that diamonds of the same weight don't necessarily have the same size appearance. Those cut too shallow or deep may look small for their weight, or suffer in brilliance. As a reference, IGI recommends the following vertical spreads for round brilliant diamonds.

When diamonds are mined, large gems are discovered much less frequently than small ones, which make large diamonds much more valuable. Diamond prices rise exponentially with carat weight. So, a 2-carat diamond of a given quality is always worth more than two 1-carat diamonds of the same quality. Color Most diamonds of gem quality used in jewelry vary in shade from completely colorless down to a visible yellow or brown tint. The rarest and most expensive are diamonds in the colorless range graded D,E and F on a scale that descends to Z. Diamonds with more color than Z, or in other shades such as orange, pink, blue, etc. are classified as "Fancy Colored Diamonds" and are graded on the IGI Colored Diamond Report. To determine the correct color, all submitted diamonds are compared to an internationally accepted master set of stones, the colors of which range from D, or

colorless (the most sought after) to Z, the most yellow/brown - aside from "fancy" yellow or brown.

IGI assigns a color grade for diamonds in the D-Z range with the diamond face-down and viewed through the pavilion. This is because size, shape, cut quality and the presence of fluorescence can influence visible face-up color. In fact, lighting, mounting choice and even the clothes one wears have an impact on color, so IGI uses the most neutral environment possible to ensure accurate and consistent results.

Clarity Since diamonds form under extreme heat and pressure, internal and external characteristics are common. These characteristics help gemologists separate natural diamonds from synthetics and simulants, and identify individual stones. There are two types of clarity characteristics: inclusions and blemishes. In order to grade the clarity of a diamond, it is necessary to observe the number and nature of external and internal characteristics of the stone, as well as their size and position. The difference is based on their locations: inclusions are enclosed within a diamond, while blemishes are external characteristics. IGI grading reports show plotted diagrams of clarity characteristics marked in red for internal, and green for external features; they are useful for identification.

I.F. : Internally Flawless Free of inclusions. Only insignificant blemishes visible under 10x magnification.

VVS1 - VVS2 : Very Very Slightly Included Minute inclusions that are very difficult to locate under 10x magnification.

VS1 - VS2 : Very Slightly Included Minute inclusions that are difficult to somewhat easy to see under 10x magnification.

SI1 - SI2 : Slightly Included Noticeable inclusions that are easy to see under 10x magnification.

I1 - I2 - I3 : Included Inclusions that are obvious to a trained grader under 10x magnification and can be easily seen face-up with the unaided eye.

Cut While nature determined the color and clarity of a natural diamond, man is responsible for the cut quality which brings it to life. The planning, proportions, cutting precision and details of finish determine how brilliant, dispersive and scintillating the diamond will be. If the cutting factors under man's control are not optimized, the appearance of the diamond can be adversely affected.

Diamond faceting has changed over time, particularly as lighting has evolved. There are many shapes and cutting styles, each with different visual properties. The most popular diamond in the age of modern electric lighting is the Round Brilliant.

All of these elements contribute to the appearance of a diamond.

Diamond shapes

Platinum Hallmarking
First, it was gold, then came diamond, and now it is the turn of platinum. These days, platinum bands, pendants and solitaires set in platinum are increasingly getting associated with engagements and weddings in India. The grey-white metal, popular in Japan, the US and China for expensive jewelry, has made its way into Indian weddings - especially in the urban areas and the metros. Platinum was already popular in the high-end customer segment, who prefer setting a solitaire in platinum because of its density. But now even retail buyers are buying engagement bands and pendants because of its attractive pricing. Platinum hallmarking was introduced in the UK in 1975 as a result of legislation brought about by the Hallmarking Act of 1973. Prior to this date, items containing platinum would often carry no markings or simply Plat or Platinum and would be of varying purity. Even as platinum is an upcoming segment as compared to other precious metals, hallmarking is already in place for this metal. The Platinum Guild International, which also has a presence in India, has a set of authorized jewelers who sell platinum in India. The list is mentioned on the website of the Platinum Guild India. "Apart from the set of authorized jewelers, every platinum product is authenticated by a third-party certification by the Underwriters Laboratories, also popularly known as the UL card. A typical platinum hallmark All platinum items weighing more than 0.5 grams must now carry a valid hallmark when sold in the UK. The photo on the right shows a typical hallmark. A platinum hallmark will consist of 3 compulsory and 3 optional stamps. The three compulsory platinum marks Sponsor Mark: Also referred to as the makers mark, the first stamp in the photo indicates who submitted the item for hallmarking. Each sponsor (maker) has their own unique stamp. Fineness Mark: The third stamp in our example photo is the fineness mark. This tells you the precious metal content, expressed in parts per thousand. There are four recognised standards of platinum:

850 (85% pure) 900 (90% pure) 950 (95% pure) 999 (99.9% pure)

When identifying an item as being platinum, its important to check the shape and contents of the fineness mark. If the shape is anything other than what is shown below, it isnt platinum. As you can see, our ring is 950 platinum. Assay Office Mark The assay office mark tells you which assay office tested and hallmarked your item. Testing Without a valid hallmark, most jewelers and small scale gold buyers will not be able to accurately test the purity of platinum jewelry. Due to its inherent inertness, traditional acid testing can only help determine if an item isnt platinum, however you cant for example differentiate 900 and 999 platinum. High-end and specialist precious metal dealers use XRF (X-ray fluorescence) testing to accurately identify the platinum content of jewelry. Inductively coupled plasma, optical emission spectrometry is used by assay offices during the hallmarking process.