European Union Metal Contents Standards
Overview
Standards related to potentially hazardous metal content in jewelry components in European Union (EU) countries are addressed by two separate areas of law. One seeks to prevent skin rashes, known as nickel dermatitis, by regulating the amount of nickel that can be released during normal use from ear ring post findings and plated surfaces that come in repeated contact with the skin. The second obliquely addresses the exposure to lead and other toxic metals.
Nickel
The regulations entitled "The Dangerous Substances and Preparations (Nickel) (Safety) Regulations 2005" clearly require that any finding component that pierces the skin may not release more than .2 micrograms of nickel per cubic centimeter per week and that no late jewelry component release no more than .5 micrograms of nickel per cubic centimeter per week. Note that these regulations do not prohibit the use of nickel in jewelry components, but rather limits the amount to which a person may be exposed.
Nickel exposure is tested under BS EN12472 and BS EN 1811:1999. The first of these separate tests replicates two years of wear under normal use and the second tests for subsequent exposure to nickel.
Lead
Regulations regarding lead in jewelry are much less clear than those related to nickel. The Birmingham Assay Office in the UK ( Newsletter August 2007, p. 5 - "Lead Publicity Causing Alarm") summarizes the approach to lead in this progression of statements:
- No regulations specifically address lead in children's or adult jewelry in the UK.
- Therefore, The General Product Safety Regulations 2005/1803 apply and require only "safe" products to be offered for sale.
- To be deemed "safe, (a product) must not present any risk, or only minimum risks compatible with the product's use, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use."
- In considering what levels of lead could be considered "safe", the Assay Office suggests that EU standard BS EN 71-3:1995 - Safety of Toys (Part 3: Migration of certain elements) would address the issue. The Toy Safety Regulation sets the exposure (not content) of "leachable lead" to no more 90ppm. This test also limits exposure to Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury, and Selenium.
While the Assay Office's interpretation appears sound, it would appear that more than one interpretation of applicable regulations is possible in that the Toys Safety Regulations of 1995 specifically exclude "Fashion jewelry for children." (Annex B. p 24 - item 24) TierraCast takes no official position on this apparent contradiction.
TierraCast Compliance
Nickel
TierraCast has submitted a variety of representative samples of its cast pewter product line for nickel testing under BS EN12472 and BS EN 1811:1999. The test results from these samples confirm that TierraCast gold and silver plated cast pewter components comply with the Nickel Safety Regulation of 2005.
Lead
Given the lack of clarity as to the applicable regulations limiting either content of, or exposure to lead, TierraCast can not confirm that it meets required limits. While TierraCast does not market its cast pewter components to children, it nevertheless can affirm that its silver and gold plated components do comply with those limits set under Toys Safety Regulations of 1995 - section EN 71:3 as indicated by the following test results from Intertek Testing Laboratories.
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