A REACH compliant jewellery supplier, a CPSIA compliant jewellery manufacturer or a Prop 65 compliant jewellery line must each be able to show a recent test report for the product you are buying. Compliance is a legal outcome for the importer in your market, not a badge a factory can hand out.
Ask for evidence, not assurances, and keep the documents on file.
What does each claim actually refer to?
REACH is the European Union chemicals regulation. For jewellery, the points buyers check include limits on lead, cadmium and nickel release. See the EU REACH lead limit for jewellery.
CPSIA is the United States law that sets lead and other limits for children's products. It applies to children's jewellery, not to adult fashion pieces in the same way. The importer or manufacturer of a children's product must issue the certificate.
Prop 65 is a California law that requires warnings when products expose people to listed chemicals above safe-harbour levels. It is a warning rule rather than a pass certificate. Check California Prop 65 for jewellery.
What documents can a supplier reasonably give?
Ask for the following, and treat a missing item as a flag:
- A recent lab report for the specific product or material group, naming the standard and limits.
- A material declaration from the factory listing the base metal, plating and stones.
- Confirmation of which components were tested, including clasps and posts.
- For children's jewellery, the supporting test data you need to prepare your own certificate.
Who is legally responsible?
In most markets the importer carries the responsibility, whatever the supplier says. A supplier's certificate helps but does not move the liability. Confirm what you need with your customs broker, a compliance adviser or the relevant regulator, because rules and limits change.
Put the obligation into your contract, as described in a compliance clause for supplier contracts. It lets you reject goods that fail testing.
How do you verify a report is genuine?
Contact the lab named on the report with the report number. Check the test date, the sample description and whether the product matches yours. Better, test samples from your own production lot through an independent lab. See also reading a lab certificate.
What if the supplier says it is all fine?
Take the claim as a starting point. Ask which version of the rule they tested against, which products, and when. Rules and limits are updated, and a report from several years ago may not reflect the current text.
Be careful with phrases such as meets all international standards. No such single standard exists for jewellery. A supplier who knows the rules will name the test method and the limit. A supplier who cannot is guessing.
If you sell children's jewellery, apply a higher bar. Read rules for children's jewellery and testing and confirm with your adviser who must issue the certificate in your market.
Which claim matters most for you?
It depends on where you sell. If you ship to the EU, focus on REACH and the limits on nickel release, lead and cadmium. If you sell in the United States, focus on CPSIA for children's items and, if you sell in California, Prop 65 warnings. Do not pay for tests against rules that do not apply to your market, and do not skip those that do.
Next step
We collect samples from your production lot, send them to an independent lab and give you the report directly. Book a free sourcing review to set this up.