Product safety and chemicals in jewellery and watches

Jewellery and watches must meet the general safety requirements laid down in consumer safety legislation, which means that they may not pose a risk to consumers' health.

Learn more about the requirements for general consumer goods.

If a piece of jewellery or watch is intended as a toy for children, it must remain safe throughout its life cycle. Read more about the requirements for toys.

In addition to legislation on consumer safety and toys, you must also consider the chemical safety of jewellery. Jewellery and accessories must not contain or release excessive concentrations of hazardous chemicals. Jewellery and accessories include:

• jewellery used in piercings
• rings
• necklaces and bracelets
• earrings
• hair clips
• metal components of wristwatches.

Manufacturers, importers and distributors of jewellery and watches must ensure that these products do not contain or release higher than permitted concentrations of prohibited or restricted substances.

Chemicals subject to restrictions regarding their concentration and release are:

• nickel
• cadmium
• lead
• chromium (VI).

The responsibility for complying with the restrictions rests with the party placing products on the market, manufacturers, importers and everyone who is part of the supply chain, including retailers.

There are no separate provisions on verification of compliance, certificates or guarantees. Companies can themselves decide how they ensure that their products are compliant.

Tukes controls the chemicals contained in jewellery and watches, whereas testing is carried out by laboratories. 

Nickel

Nickel is a common cause of contact allergy. There is no cure for nickel allergy. This is why requirements have been set for the amount of nickel released from jewellery. Consequently, while nickel may be used in the manufacture of jewellery, the finished products may not release it.

Less than 0.2 µg per cm² a week of nickel may be released from jewellery intended for pierced ears or other pierced parts of the body. 

The amount of nickel released from articles intended for direct or prolonged contact with skin must not be more than 0.5 µg per cm² a week. This restriction also applies to items with a nickel-free coating. The amount of nickel released may not exceed the threshold value during the ordinary period of use. The ordinary period of use is at least two years. This restriction applies to earrings, necklaces, bracelets, chains, anklets, rings, stud buttons, buckles, studs, zippers, metal badges in clothing, biro pens, spectacle frames and mobile phones, among other articles.

Prolonged contact means skin contact

• of at least 10 minutes three or more times in two weeks, or
• of at least 30 minutes once or several times in two weeks.

Standards issued by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) must be used as testing methods, as referred to in the Official Journal of the European Union. For a list of testing laboratories, visit the FINAS website.

Cadmium

Cadmium is a carcinogenic heavy metal. As cadmium accumulates in the body and its half-life is very long, the amount of cadmium in our bodies may increase as we grow older.

Cadmium may end up in jewellery through impurities in raw materials, recycled materials or solders.

The cadmium content in pieces of jewellery and their metal parts, metal parts used in clothing, as well as plastic materials, must be less than 0.01% by weight. This restriction applies to bangles , bracelets, necklaces, rings, piercings, wrist watches,  brooches, dress jewellery, hair accessories, cufflinks, metal beads and other metal parts used in jewellery production, among other articles.

The restriction also applies to brazing fillers used at temperatures above 450 °C.

The use of cadmium in jewellery was banned in 2011. The cadmium restrictions do not apply to antique jewellery made available for sale before 10 December 1961.

Lead

Lead and lead compounds are toxic, and they are prohibited for health and environmental protection reasons.

Lead may end up in jewellery as intentionally added metallic lead, through impurities in raw materials, from recycled materials, or as an additive used in metal alloys.

The lead content in jewellery must be less than 0.05% by weight.

The lead restriction applies to all types of jewellery, their production materials and individual structural parts, including bangles, necklaces, rings, piercings, imitation jewellery, hair accessories, wrist watches, bracelets, brooches and cufflinks.

This restriction does not apply to the following:

• antique jewellery made before 10 December 1961
• crystal glass
• components inside wrist and pocket watches (please note that they may, however, be subject to RoHS restrictions)
• jewellery and gemstones, unless they have been treated with lead or lead compounds; or
• vitreous enamel in jewellery.

Restrictions on lead and its use have been imposed in many contexts, including in objects and their parts that children may put in their mouths. Read more about the restrictions: Restrictions on lead (in Finnish).

Other considerations

Products may also be subject to other requirements if, for example, leather or substances of very high concern are used in them, or if they are electrical or electronic equipment (such as a clock). See the following links for more information:

• Chromium (VI) compounds in leather products (in Finnish) 
• Substances of very high concern (in Finnish) 
• RoHS - Hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment

Learn more

Free online training is available on Tukes Campus on such topics as "Chemicals in objects" and "Craft entrepreneurs". These training courses teach you what you should consider when starting out as a craft entrepreneur, how you can identify legislation applicable to your activities, how you should apply the legislation to your activities, and what requirements chemicals legislation imposes on chemicals in articles.

Legislation

REACH regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 
Annex XVII, entry 23: cadmium
Annex XVII, entry 27: nickel
Annex XVII, entry 63: lead and lead compounds

Standards

EN 1811:2011+A1:2015 Reference test method for release of nickel from all post assemblies which are inserted into pierced parts of the human body and articles intended to come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin
EN 12472:2005+A1:2009 Method for the simulation of wear and corrosion for the detection of nickel release from coated items
EN 16128:2011 Reference testing method for release of nickel from those parts of spectacle frames and sunglasses intended to come into close and prolonged contact with the skin

Elsewhere on the web

Act on Articles of Precious Metals 1029/2000 (in Finnish)
Government Decree on Articles of Precious Metals 1148/2000 (in Finnish)
Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/515 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mutual recognition of goods lawfully marketed in another Member State
Convention on the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals (Finnish Treaty Series 17/1975)