New Delhi, April 1 -- The Centre plans to tighten gold hallmarking norms by mandating stricter, item-level use of unique identification numbers, aiming to curb duplication and improve traceability, two officials familiar with the matter said.

While hallmark unique identification (HUID) is already in use, the proposed framework will ensure each jewellery piece carries a distinct ID linked to its design, size and other specifications, which cannot be reused across items, even if they appear identical, or reassigned once melted, one of the officials said.

"The move will ensure that once a jewellery item is melted, the unique ID assigned to it cannot be reused for any other product. It will prevent duplication or misuse of certification," t...