Do enamel pins and kids' jewelry need lead testing in the US?

For jewelry mainly designed or intended for children aged 12 or younger, use the children's product definition (16 CFR 1200.2). Children's jewelry needs a Children's Product Certificate and a CPSC-accepted lab report. Adult pins don't need a CPSC certificate unless the conditional magnet requirement applies (16 CFR 1262).

Which certificate you need

A collectible's theme and price, limited-edition status, fragility, base and marketing are considered together (16 CFR 1200.2). An adult item containing magnets has a conditional General Certificate of Conformity requirement (16 CFR 1262).

If your pin or jewelry needs a certificate, the US importer must issue it before entry; a factory-issued CPC doesn't count for a children's product (16 CFR 1110.7).

For a certified product's import, each shipment's entry filing must include electronic certificate data in ACE from July 8, 2026, regardless of the shipment's value (16 CFR 1110.13).

For children's jewelry, check that the report's lab is CPSC-accepted for the provisions tested. Each model and color needs a report, and its number can be verified with the lab (CPSC lab search).

Which tests apply

For children's jewelry, base-material lead has a limit of 100 ppm (15 U.S.C. 1278a). If there's paint or a similar surface coating, the coating lead limit is 90 ppm, or 0.009% of the dry paint film or total nonvolatile weight (16 CFR 1303).

Children's jewelry testing includes lead, coating lead and small parts. Cadmium is enforced under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, while ASTM F2923 is voluntary. Children's jewelry containing magnets is within the magnet rule when it meets that rule's scope (16 CFR 1262).

What goes on the label

Children's jewelry needs a tracking label. For adult pins making claims about gold or silver content, follow the labeling provisions in 16 CFR 23 (16 CFR 23). An age marking is suggested for adult collectibles, but it doesn't decide their legal classification (16 CFR 1200.2).