Educating people on ggold quality

BHUBANESWAR: With the gold prices continuing to hit the roof and the demand for jewellery showing no signs of decline as a consequence, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has started an initiative to ensure supply of genuine product to the customers by traders and artisans in the State. The Eastern Zonal office of the quality regulatory body has launched an Awareness Week across Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand to sensitise artisans, merchants and consumers on the BIS hallmarking for certifying genuineness and prevention of fraud and dishonest practices. The BIS hallmarking scheme was launched in 2000 with the aim to protect consumers against irregular gold quality as well as develop export competitiveness of the gold jewellery industry.  The awareness week, besides educating the stakeholders, will provide training to the artisans on jewellery-making sans irregular metal quality and under-cartage. Training would be provided to personnel of Assaying and Hallmarking centres for proper testing of the jewellery, head BIS, Bhubaneswar, GC Hazra said.