ASTM F2923 covers safety requirements for children’s jewelry. In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about this standard, including its product scope, labeling requirements, and lab testing.
We also explain whether or not compliance with ASTM F2923 is mandatory when importing or manufacturing children’s jewelry in the United States.
Notice that this guide is written only based on publicly available information on this page. You need to buy the standard in order to access the contents of ASTM F2923.
Content Overview
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What is ASTM F2923?
ASTM International developed ASTM F2923 – Standard Specification for Consumer Product Safety for Children’s Jewelry. The standard was developed to provide guidance on manufacturing children’s jewelry for children that are 12 years old or younger.
The standard specification notes that children’s jewelry includes parts of products that can be removed from their original placement and worn by children. For example, children can take a shoe charm off a shoe and wear it.
The standard offers guidance on identifying the target market segment (adults or children) for the product. Specifically, it establishes requirements based on the understanding that sometimes, specific types of jewelry are meant for specific age groups.
While the standard does offer safety guidelines, it does not cover quality properties of children’s jewelry. Further, ASTM F2923 also does not proclaim to cover every possible risk that children’s jewelry may pose.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) notes that ASTM F2923 is one of the two known voluntary standards that provide “industry best practices” for jewelry, the other one being ASTM 2999 for adult jewelry.
Which products are covered by ASTM F2923?
ASTM F2923 covers jewelry for children, including children’s body-piercing jewelry. It notes that children’s jewelry is meant for children aged 12 years or younger.
The standard does not cover the following:
a. Toy jewelry (e.g., jewelry for dolls, or jewelry that can be played with)
b. Products that are meant to be played with by children
c. Accessories (for example, belts and handbags)
d. Footwear
e. Functional products that are not meant to be worn like a piece of jewelry (e.g., keys and keychains)
f. Adult jewelry, which is covered by ASTM F2999
The standard specifies that adult jewelry is meant for individuals over the age of 12. Further, it’s important to note that toy jewelry is covered by ASTM F963-17.
Is ASTM F2923 mandatory in the United States?
In some cases, standards are incorporated by reference in one or more regulations and rendered mandatory. However, the CPSC doesn’t incorporate ASTM F2923. As such, at the moment the standard is voluntary.
Having said that, you can still benefit by ensuring that your products comply with the requirements of the standard, in order to show that they are safe to use.
Overview
In this section, we explain ASTM F2923’s scope and requirements.
Scope
ASTM F2923 covers jewelry designed for children under the age of 12 and notes that children’s jewelry is not recommended for children aged 3 and younger.
Requirements
ASTM F2923 establishes requirements and test methods for:
- Mechanical hazards
- Substance restrictions
In particular, the standard has specifications for the following:
a. Liquid-filled jewelry
b. Phthalates in plastic parts of children’s jewelry
c. Nickel in substrate materials of children’s jewelry
d. Cadmium in substrate materials of children’s jewelry
e. Lead in children’s jewelry (the lead limits can be found in the standard)
f. Heavy metals in paint and surface coatings of children’s jewelry
The heavy metals that the standard sets restrictions for include:
- Antimony
- Arsenic
- Barium
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Mercury
- Selenium
Labeling requirements
ASTM F2923 includes recommendations for age labeling and warnings. For example, the standard does not recommend exposing jewelry to children under the age of 3, especially if they are not under parental supervision.
Where can I buy ASTM F2923?
Below we list several websites from which you can purchase the standard if you want to access its contents in full.
astm.org
- USD 60 for a hard copy or a PDF version
- USD 72 for an online standard + redline bundle
webstore.ansi.org
- USD 60 for a PDF version
- USD 72 for the standard + redline PDF bundle
knowledge.bsigroup.com
Members
- GBP 42.30 for a digital version or a hard copy
- GBP 84.6 for both a digital and a hard copy version
Non-Members
- GBP 47 for a digital version or a hard copy
- GBP 94 for both a digital and a hard copy version
en-standard.eu
- 52 Euro for a PDF version or a hardcopy version
- 63 Euro for a PDF redline version
techstreet.com
- USD 56 for a PDF version or a hardcopy version
- USD 76 for both a PDF and a hardcopy version
global.ihs.com
- USD 60 for a PDF or a hardcopy version
- USD 102 for a PDF and hardcopy bundle (save 15%)
- USD 72 for a PDF and its redline version
Lab Testing
Importers and manufacturers should ensure that their products are safe for use before those products can be sold to consumers.
In the case of children’s jewelry, it is especially important to test the product to ensure that:
a. It doesn’t contain restricted substances (e.g. lead or cadmium) above the prescribed limits, as these substances might migrate to the user’s skin
b. It complies with mechanical and physical specifications (e.g. length or small parts, even though ASTM F2923 doesn’t cover small parts requirements, according to the standard’s page)
Is ASTM F2923 lab testing mandatory?
ASTM F2923 establishes methods for testing specific materials in jewelry for children.
Testing against the standard is not mandatory, but if you wish to make sure that your products are safe and comply with the standard, you can send your products for testing.
How much does ASTM F2923 lab testing cost?
Different companies may provide different prices for product testing. This may depend on how complicated the product is, where the test location is, and other parameters.
Though we cannot find publicly-listed prices for ASTM F2413 lab testing, you can contact any of the companies listed below for a quote.
ASTM F2923 Lab Testing Companies
Several companies around the world offer comprehensive testing services to businesses wanting to make sure that their jewelry products are safe enough and comply with relevant regulations to be sold.
Below we list a few companies that offer testing services against ASTM F2923.
Intertek
Intertek provides different types of testing for children’s jewelry, including:
- Torque testing
- Tension testing
- Compression testing
- Flammability testing
- Corrosion testing
It also offers children’s jewelry testing services against ASTM F2923.
Intertek has also partnered with AnchorCert to test jewelry for any possible allergens, thereby potentially lessening the chance of jewelry (or materials in the jewelry) causing any adverse health effects in children.
QIMA
QIMA offers children’s jewelry testing services against the requirements of ASTM F2923.
The company is also able to help businesses ensure that their children’s jewelry products comply with the CPSIA requirements.
SGS
SGS offers consulting and analytical testing services against the requirements of ASTM F2923 and other standards that cover children’s jewelry.
Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre (STC)
STC offers to test children’s jewelry against ASTM F2923 requirements. More in general, it provides physical testing services such as the following:
- Tension testing
- Torque testing
- Flammability testing
- Sharp points testing
- Sharp edge testing
- Small parts testing
TÜV Rheinland
TÜV Rheinland provides testing and review services for manufacturers who want to ensure that their products comply with the requirements established in standards such as ASTM F2923.
The company provides mechanical testing and helps businesses ensure that consumer products such as children’s jewelry are safe, sustainable, and of high quality. TÜV Rheinland can also test children’s jewelry to ensure that they do not contain any substances that may present any adverse health effects.
as a crafter what are my labeling requirements for children’s jhand crafted jewelry. I use components from several US shops
Hello Glinda,
I suggest you read this page: https://www.cpsc.gov/Business–Manufacturing/Small-Business-Resources/Small-Batch-Manufacturers-and-Third-Party-