The Indian Ministry of Commerce plans to launch a system to certify the quality of gems and precious stones similar to the system used for hallmarking of gold in the country.
A senior government official, quoted in Art of Jewellery, said: “We want consumers to know the purity of precious gemstones. Right now, there is no proper mechanism to know how testing of precious gemstones is done”. Because of that, said the official, “consumers are misled”. He added that the system will be put in place by year’s end.
According to the same report, the ministry is also thinking about establishing “a separate accreditation body for gemstones”. Currently, “there are no government accredited labs to verify precious gemstones, but accreditation by international players including GIA, HRD and IGI is recognised in India”.
