Hallmarking 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.
The 92nd meeting of Nepal Standard Council (NSC) held in the second week of November last year had decided to introduce gold and silver hallmarking system. However, Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM), which has been assigned the responsibility of implementing the system, is dragging its feet, citing lack of equipment to test quality of gold and silver jewelries.
According to NBSM officials, they need to have a fire assay equipment to test the quality of gold and silver before putting hallmark on them. The equipment costs around Rs 1.5 million.
Bishwo Babu Pudasaini, director general of NBSM, said they will introduce hallmarking system within two months. "We have already selected the company to procure fire assay and other necessary equipment. The company is in the process of importing them," Pudasaini told Republica. "Gold and silver hallmarking system will begin once the company delivers fire assay machine to us."
Pudasaini, who is also the member secretary of NSC, said two staffers of NBSM have already received training in Hong Kong to operate the machine. "They will test the quality of gold and silver jewelries, put NS mark on them and provide hallmark certification," he added.
After a trial period of two months, we will make hallmarking system compulsory for all jewelers, added Pudasaini.
Meanwhile, gold and silver dealers criticized the government officials saying that they are not doing the needful to implement hallmarking system. "We were excited when the government introduced the system" Mani Ratna Shakya, president of Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Associations, said. "The delay in implementation of the system will only feed suspicions."
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