Importing jewelry from China: pretty is easy, compliant takes work
Fashion jewelry, stainless steel jewelry, hair accessories: the price advantage is enormous — but nickel, cadmium and lead are strictly limited in the EU. We source from vetted manufacturers and have every batch tested against REACH limits.
The three jewelry risks
In jewelry imports, chemistry, plating and consistency decide — not the product photo.
Prohibited heavy metals
Cadmium makes alloys cheap and shiny — and is practically banned in EU jewelry. We fix the alloy contractually and verify by lab testing (including nickel release to EN 1811).
Plating that tarnishes
Gold plating measured in fractions of a micron looks good for three weeks. We specify coating thickness and tarnish protection and verify with sweat and salt spray tests — before customers complain.
Every batch looks different
Colour tone, stone quality, clasp mechanics: without a golden sample and acceptance criteria, quality drifts. We freeze a reference sample and inspect every delivery against it.
What we handle for jewelry sellers
Own designs & collections
From moodboard to collection: sample development, packaging with your branding and volume pricing for reorders — as your private label.
Lab testing per batch
REACH screening (nickel, cadmium, lead), coating thickness measurement and mechanical testing of clasps — with a test report for your records.
Delivered marketplace-ready
Polybag labelling, EAN labels, FNSKU for Amazon: we deliver retail-ready to your warehouse or straight to Amazon.
Bundled sample collections
Samples from several manufacturers in one shipment: you compare quality and feel before committing.
How your jewelry import runs
Send reference products, designs or the category — we propose vetted manufacturers with prices.
Sample collection with alloy specifications — released by you.
Production with REACH lab testing and AQL inspection per batch.
Retail-ready labelling and DDP delivery to your warehouse or Amazon.
Common questions about jewelry from China
Which limits apply to jewelry in the EU?
REACH Annex XVII governs the critical substances: nickel release max. 0.5 µg/cm²/week for skin contact (tested to EN 1811, stricter for piercings), cadmium max. 0.01 % in metal parts, lead max. 0.05 %. Phthalate limits apply to plastic elements where relevant. We have these values tested in accredited labs — per batch, not once.
Fashion alloy or stainless steel — which is better for the range?
Stainless steel (usually 316L) costs slightly more but is tarnish-free, nickel-safe and low-return — ideal for basics and men’s jewelry. Alloy jewelry allows finer designs and lower prices but demands plating discipline. Many sellers run both; we supply both from suitable factories.
From what volumes is direct import worthwhile?
Jewelry is light and high-margin — from around €2,000–3,000 order value, direct import clearly beats middlemen. The fixed testing costs matter more: we bundle lab tests across articles so smaller collections stay economical.
Related topics
Inquire about a collection
Reference images or designs are enough — we get back to you within 24 hours with manufacturer proposals, prices and a testing concept.