US Jewellery Regulatory Requirements
2026-09-071. CPSIA
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of the US imposes strict requirements on lead content in children’s products, with limits varying based on substrate and surface coating. In addition, the Act restricts the content of harmful phthalates (8P) in children’s toys and child care articles.
|
Chemical Items |
Controlled Item |
Limit Value |
|
Lead |
Substrate: 100mg/kg; Coating: 90mg/kg |
|
|
Phthalates |
8P: DEHP/ DBP/ BBP/ DINP/ DIBP/ DCHP/ DPENP/ DHEXP, each shall not exceed 1000mg/kg. |
2. ASTM F2923
This standard applies only to jewellery for children aged 12 and under and is not applicable to toy products. The standard restricts multiple heavy metals including lead, cadmium, nickel release and soluble heavy metals, and also specifies requirements for physical and mechanical properties.
|
Chemical Items |
Controlled Item |
Requirements |
|
Lead |
Substrate: 100 mg/kg; Coating: 90 mg/kg |
|
|
Cadmium |
75 mg/kg |
|
|
Extractable Cadmium |
Small plastic parts: 75 mg/kg; Small metal parts: 200 μg |
|
|
Salt-extractable Cadmium |
18 μg |
|
|
Nickel Release |
Piercing articles: 0.2 μg/cm2/week Articles with prolonged skin contact: 0.5 μg/cm2/week |
|
|
7 Types of Soluble Heavy Metals (Coating) |
Cadmium: 75 mg/kg, Mercury: 60 mg/kg Chromium: 60 mg/kg, Arsenic: 25 mg/kg Selenium: 500 mg/kg, Antimony: 60 mg/kg Barium: 1000 mg/kg |
|
| Phthalates | 8P: DEHP/ DBP/ BBP/ DINP/ DIBP/ DCHP/ DPENP/ DHEXP, each shall not exceed 1000 mg/kg. | |
|
Physical Items |
Sharp Points & Sharp Edges |
Jewellery for children under 8 years old shall not contain accessible hazardous sharp points or hazardous sharp edges. |
|
Small Parts |
Jewellery for children under 3 years old shall not contain small parts. |
|
|
Hazardous Magnets (Magnetic flux ≥50KG2mm² and classified as small parts) |
(1) For under 8 years old: after normal use and reasonably foreseeable abuse testing, no hazardous magnets or hazardous magnetic components shall remain; (2) For 8 years old and above: warning statements are required if hazardous magnets or hazardous magnetic components are present. |
|
|
Breakaway Release Force |
It shall break under 15 lbf tension without releasing any physical hazard. Exemption: Children’s jewellery with perimeter less than 9.4 inches |
|
|
Battery Requirements |
(1) Before and after abuse testing, batteries classified as small parts shall not be accessible without tools; (2) For replaceable batteries, marking is required: old and new batteries shall not be mixed; alkaline batteries, standard (carbon-zinc) batteries or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries shall not be mixed and similar information; (3) Relevant instructions or markings shall be added for accessible non-replaceable batteries; (4) Battery-powered children’s jewellery shall be designed to prevent charging of non-rechargeable batteries (except button cells); (5) Battery polarity shall be permanently marked on product labels or instructions. |
|
|
Inhalable Tongue Studs |
Not permitted |
|
| Labelling Requirements |
Age Labelling |
Affix age label |
| Other Recommended Warning Statements | Warning statements embedded on piercing components of earrings | |
|
Jewellery Containing Filled Liquid |
Filled Liquid Requirements |
(1) Shall not contain substances specified in 16CFR 1500.231 and 16CFR 1500.14 (materials requiring special marking); (2) If jewellery contains cosmetics, such cosmetics shall comply with USP51&61&62; (3) If jewellery contains other liquids, pastes, putty, gels or powders (excluding cosmetics), they shall comply with USP61&62. |
3. ASTM F2999
This standard applies to adult jewellery for users aged above 12. Some test items and limits of this standard reference the California Lead Jewellery Law (CA Health and Safety Code Section 25214.1-25214.4.2) and relevant requirements from jewellery standard ASTM F2923. Controlled items include chemical parameters such as lead, cadmium, soluble heavy metals, nickel release and physical requirements for special components such as magnets, batteries and inhalable tongue studs.
|
Chemical Items |
Controlled Item |
Requirements |
|
Lead |
Excluding exempt materials: (1) Electroplated metal alloy lead content less than 60000 mg/kg (2) Non-electroplated metal lead content less than15000 mg/kg (3) Plastic, rubber lead content less than200 mg/kg (4) Surface coating lead content less than600 mg/kg (5) For other materials not listed above, lead content shall not exceed600 mg/kg |
|
|
Cadmium |
15000 mg/kg |
|
|
Extractable Cadmium |
Small plastic parts: 75 mg/kg; Small metal parts: 200 μg |
|
|
Salt-extractable Cadmium |
18 μg |
|
|
Nickel Release |
No limit |
|
|
7 Types of Soluble Heavy Metals (Coating) |
Cadmium: 75 mg/kg, Mercury: 60 mg/kg Chromium: 60 mg/kg, Arsenic: 25 mg/kg Selenium: 500 mg/kg, Antimony: 60 mg/kg Barium: 1000 mg/kg |
|
|
Physical Items |
Hazardous Magnets (Magnetic flux ≥50KG2mm² and classified as small parts) |
Warning statement shall be affixed if the magnet belongs to small parts |
|
Battery Requirements |
Batteries classified as small parts shall not be accessible without tools |
|
|
Inhalable Tongue Studs |
Warning statement shall be affixed if the product contains inhalable tongue studs |
|
|
Age Labelling |
Affix age label |
|
|
Jewellery Containing Filled Liquid |
Filled Liquid Requirements |
Filled liquid shall not contain substances specified in 16CFR 1500. 14 |
4. CA Prop65
California Proposition 65 is a toxic chemical proposal adopted by California, USA in 1986, full name Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. The Act controls a large variety of substances and covers a wide range of products including jewellery, textile apparel, toys, electrical and electronic products. To date, many jewellery-related court rulings have been issued in California under this Act, mainly involving lead, cadmium, phthalates, etc. Limit requirements may vary for different case rulings.
|
Typical Cases |
Controlled Substance |
Requirements |
|
Alameda Superior Court, RG10-514803 |
Lead |
Limits differ by material (exempt materials excluded); Limits differ between adult jewellery and children’s jewellery. |
|
Alameda Superior Court Case No. RG 18-923611 |
Cadmium |
100 mg/kg |
|
CA Prop 65 - The County of Marin Case No. CIV1103513 |
Phthalates (3P: DBP/BBP/DEHP) |
BBP/DBP/DEHP: each ≤1000 mg/kg Note: Currently phthalates listed under Prop65 are 6P: BBP/DBP/DEHP/DIDP/DINP/DnHP; therefore for Prop65 phthalate testing, 6P is recommended. The recommended limit for the three phthalates not covered in this case: each ≤1000 mg/kg. |
|
San Francisco Superior Court Case No. CGC - 10 - 497729 |
Phthalates (3P: DBP/BBP/DEHP) |
3P, each ≤1000mg/kg Note: Currently phthalates listed under Prop65 are 6P: BBP/DBP/DEHP/DIDP/DINP/DnHP; therefore for Prop65 phthalate testing, 6P is recommended. Recommended limit for phthalates not covered in this case: each ≤1000mg/kg. 【Applicable to accessible PVC, soft plastic, vinyl, artificial leather and other plastic materials.】 |
5. Other Regulations and Standards
Several other US states have also passed legislation on hazardous substances in jewellery, such as Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act (LPPA), Washington Children’s Safe Products Act (CSPA). Maryland and Connecticut set total cadmium in jewellery not to exceed 75 mg/kg; Illinois and Minnesota set soluble cadmium in jewellery not to exceed 75 mg/kg.
|
Regulation (Region) |
Controlled Item |
Limit Value |
|
LPPA (410 ILCS45/6) (Illinois) |
Total Lead |
Warning label required if total lead exceeds 40 mg/kg; compliance limit follows CPSIA lead requirements. |
|
CSPA (Washington State) |
Total Lead |
90 mg/kg |
|
Total Cadmium |
40 mg/kg |
|
|
Phthalates |
Sum of 6P (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, DnOP) ≤1000mg/kg. |
|
|
Chapter 578 (HB 145, Session 2011) (Maryland) |
Total Cadmium |
75 mg/kg |
|
Public Act 10-113 (HB 5314) (Connecticut) |
Total Cadmium |
75 mg/kg |
|
Public Act 96-1379 Cadmium Safe Kids Act (HB 5040, Session 2010) (Illinois) |
Soluble Cadmium |
75 mg/kg |
|
S.F 2510 Art6. sec 27 (Minnesota) |
Soluble Cadmium |
75 mg/kg |