Jewellery sold in Great Britain must meet UK REACH, which carries the same nickel, lead and cadmium restrictions the EU applies, and it must be safe under UK general product safety law. In practice, a piece that passes EU testing usually passes the UK chemical limits too, but the UK importer has its own legal duties.
Northern Ireland is different. Under the Windsor Framework, EU product rules, including the EU General Product Safety Regulation, apply there.
The chemical limits
Limits can change, so confirm them with your test lab at the time of testing.
- Nickel release: no more than 0.5 µg/cm²/week for parts in direct and prolonged contact with skin, and 0.2 µg/cm²/week for parts inserted into pierced skin, measured by the EN 1811 test.
- Lead: below 0.05% by weight in each accessible part of jewellery, with limited exceptions.
- Cadmium: below 0.01% by weight in metal parts of jewellery.
Who is responsible
If you bring jewellery into the UK from India, you are usually the importer, and the law expects you to make sure it is safe and compliant before it goes on sale. That means holding test reports, keeping records that link reports to lots, and being able to trace and recall products if a problem appears.
Your name and contact address should be on the product or its packaging. The UK has also passed the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which lets the government update product safety rules, including for online marketplaces, so check for new requirements before each season.
Children's jewellery and toys
Jewellery designed as a toy, such as play jewellery in a dress-up set, falls under UK toy safety rules and needs UKCA or CE marking and toy testing. Ordinary jewellery sold for children is not a toy, but it must still be safe, so watch small parts, magnets and cords.
What this means for a buyer
For UK buyers, write the UK REACH limits into your purchase order, test the approved sample for nickel release, lead and cadmium, and keep the reports on file. If you sell through Amazon or another marketplace, expect to be asked for them; our guide to selling Rajkot jewellery online covers this.
Creston & Co works for buyers only, for a fixed fee agreed in writing. We choose makers who can meet these limits, arrange testing at accredited labs and supervise packing and labelling. Start with a free sourcing review.