Brazil restricts lead and cadmium in jewellery

On 26 January 2016, Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade E Technologia, INMETRO) published Ordinance No. 43 of 22 January 2016 to restrict lead and cadmium in jewellery and its components.

According to the new law, jewellery is defined as an adornment which may be in contact with the human body during use, such as:

• Adornments worn on the wrist, including watches
• Bracelets, cufflinks, earrings
• Hair accessories, necklaces, piercing objects and rings

The effective dates for the regulation are different:

Substance	Scope	Requirement	Effective
Cadmium	Jewellery	＜0.01%	26 January 2019 for manufacturers and importers; 26 January 2021 for retailers and wholesalers.
Lead		＜0.03%

C&K Testing advises jewellery businesses should test lead and cadmium before export to Brazil to ensure compliance.