| Precious metals, gems exempt from lead laws |
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8/22/2009 3:14:29 PM |
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Attleboro Falls, Mass.--The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has voted to exempt precious metals (karat gold, sterling silver and platinum group metals) and gemstones from the lead testing and certification requirements for children's products covered by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) has announced.
The exemption becomes effective upon publication in the Federal Register, which should occur within the next few days, MJSA said in a media release.
"The jewelry industry has won an important victory over unnecessary regulation today," MJSA President and Chief Executive Officer David Cochran said in the release. "MJSA argued successfully that testing precious-metal jewelry and gems does not make sense."
The association, which worked in partnership with the Fashion Jewelry Trade Association, proved that such products either are lead free or contain lead in such small amounts as to be below CPSIA lead safety requirements.
"Today, the CPSC has agreed with us," Cochran said.
Materials exempt from the CPSIA lead laws include:
--Precious gemstones: diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald.
--Semiprecious gemstones and other minerals, provided that the mineral or material is not based on lead or lead compounds and is not associated in nature with any mineral based on lead or lead compounds (excluding any mineral that is based on lead or lead compounds including, but not limited to, aragonite, bayldonite, boleite, cerussite, crocoite, galena, linarite, mimetite, phosgenite, vanadinite and wulfenite).
--Natural or cultured pearls.
--Wood.
--Paper and similar materials made from wood or other cellulosic fiber, including, but not limited to, paperboard, linerboard and medium.
--Printing inks that use the CMYK process (excluding spot colors, other inks that are not used in CMYK process, inks that do not become part of the substrate under 16 CFR part 1303 and inks used in after-treatment applications, including screen prints, transfers, decals, or other prints).
--Textiles (excluding after-treatment applications, including screen prints, transfers, decals or other prints) consisting of: (a) natural fibers (dyed or undyed) including, but not limited to, cotton, kapok, flax, linen, jute, ramie, hemp, kenaf, bamboo, coir, sisal, silk, wool (sheep), alpaca, llama, goat (mohair, cashmere), rabbit (angora), camel, horse, yak, vicuna, qiviut, guanaco; (b) manufactured fibers (dyed or undyed) including, but not limited to, rayon, azlon, lyocell, acetate, triacetate, rubber, polyester, olefin, nylon, acrylic, modacrylic, aramid, spandex.
--Other plant-derived and animal-derived materials including, but not limited to, animal glue, bee's wax, seeds, nut shells, flowers, bone, sea shell, coral, amber, feathers, fur, leather.
The following metals and alloys do not exceed the lead content limits under section 101(a) of the CPSIA, provided that no lead or lead-containing metal is intentionally added, but does not include the non-steel or non-precious-metal components of a product, such as solder or base metals in electroplate, clad or fill applications:
--Surgical steel and other stainless steel within the designations of Unified Numbering System, UNS S13800 - S66286, not including the stainless steel designated as 303Pb (UNS S30360).
--Precious metals: gold (at least 10 karat), sterling silver (at least 925/1000), platinum, palladium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, ruthenium.
--Titanium.
The exemptions were granted, provided that these materials haven't been treated or changed in ways that would result in the addition of lead. They also do not apply to the non-steel or non-precious-metal components of a product, such as solder or base metals in electroplate, clad or fill applications.
Though jewelry made from precious metals is now exempt from the new lead standards, manufacturers, suppliers and retailers of children's jewelry containing base metals, must still follow the law.
"It is still vitally important for those making and selling base-metal jewelry to become familiar with the requirements of the CPSIA, since these products remain subject to the Act's third-party testing, certification and labeling requirements," Cochran said.
Base-metal manufacturers and suppliers can access a step-by-step guide to CPSIA compliance, entitled Lowering Lead, at MJSA's Web site, MJSA.org.
Retailers who sell base-metal children's jewelry can learn more about their obligations under the CPSIA by accessing the CPSC guide titled "Guidance on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) for Small Businesses, Resellers, Crafters and Charities" available at CPSC.Gov/About/cpsia/smbus/cpsiasbguide.html. |
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