Industries minister Pradyut Bordoloi inaugurates the hallmarking centre in Guwahati on Monday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, May 13: Buyers and sellers of gold and silver in the Northeast can now evaluate and ascertain the purity of their metals in the region itself, thanks to a state-of-the-art hallmarking and assaying centre here.

Industries minister Pradyut Bordoloi today inaugurated Assam Hallmarking Centre, the first in the Northeast and recognised by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

“This is a significant initiative as the Northeast lacked a centre. Buyers of gold had to go to Calcutta, the nearest centre from the region, to get their metals tested. So, this centre will benefit the public of not just the state but the region and I appeal to the industries commissioner to develop it in a professional manner and make it consumer-friendly,” Bordoloi said during the inaugural function at the office of the senior quality control officer at Industrial Estate here today.

The main objective of the centre is to help customers evaluate the value of gold/silver and protect them from being victimised by those who sell impure variety. The centre will widen the scope of export by developing competitiveness among local units. It will endeavour to develop the Northeast as a gold market centre and increase trade links with Southeast Asian countries.

“A gem/precious stone testing lab will also be set up at the centre soon. We are in touch with the Gemological Institute of India, Mumbai,” the minister added.

The centre, after ascertaining the value of the metals, will issue a third party certificate to the jewellery unit or consumer, in accordance with the specifications of BIS. The bureau, as the national standard body, has laid down Indian standards for gold and its alloys, its purity and fineness, in line with national or international standards.

There are around 100 licencees operating under BIS certification in the Northeast. Of the 186 assaying centres in the country, 20 are in eastern India.

The hallmarking scheme for gold came into operation in the country in 2000.

Rajesh Prasad, commissioner of industries and commerce, Assam, said the machinery installed at the centre has been imported from Germany. “The machinery has been procured at a cost of Rs 1.03 crore and the personnel at the quality control centre are all trained,” he said.

A. Mukherjee, scientist and head, BIS (Guwahati centre), said: “Hallmarking on gold jewellery here will involve five marks on it — logos of BIS, Assam Hallmarking Centre, fineness/purity (numbers marked such as 916 for 22 carat or 750 for 18 carat), jeweller’s identification mark and finally year code letter.”