Diamond jewellery makers of Kolkata and Mumbai, the two biggest manufacturing hubs, are facing problems with hallmarking that has become mandatory from June 15 this year. Manufacturers say that gold constitutes only 10 per cent of diamond studded jewellery, and sometimes diamonds are getting damaged when the jewellery piece goes for hallmarking.

The manufacturers have requested the government and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to exempt diamond studded jewellery from hallmarking, and till such time that happens, they have requested that jewellery pieces be hallmarked before the diamonds are studded so as to avoid any damage.

These two manufacturing centres churn out diamond jewellery whose price range varies between Rs 10 lakh - Rs 2 crore. The designs of Kolkata's diamond jewellery attract people across the globe and some of the biggest names in corporate India come to Kolkata to buy diamond jewellery.

Diamond-studded jewellery comprises low gravity of frame structure and in order to carry the same under the process of hallmarking, the studded diamond can get damaged, resulting in heavy loss.

Secondly, the total consumption of gold used in frames for making diamonds studded jewellery is less than 10 per cent per cent of the total value of the piece of jewellery.

Kolkata is a hub of manufacturing, and also the centre for world-famous hand-crafted gold jewellery - plain as well as studded with diamonds and gemstones. It caters to semi-wholesalers and retailers across India.