FJATA Begins Work On Developing First
U.S. Voluntary Standard for Children’s Jewelry

The Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade Association (FJATA) participated in an initial working group meeting on June 9 to discuss developing the first voluntary national standard that addresses children’s jewelry. Based on initial discussions, the standard is expected to address exposure to elements such as cadmium that may prove toxic when ingested, and standards for nickel, which may cause possible allergic reactions in some individuals. Mechanical hazards will also be discussed.
The standard development process is administered by ASTM International, one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world. The ASTM toy safety standard, F 963, was made mandatory when Congress adopted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). ASTM F 963 includes limits and requirements for soluble heavy metals in paint and surface coatings of toys.

The ASTM standard development process includes involvement from a variety of stakeholders. In addition to FJATA, other participants include the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), suppliers, retailers, consumer organizations and other interested parties. Through the ASTM process, these participants will reach consensus on a voluntary national standard for children’s jewelry. The standard will also include guidance on identifying children’s jewelry.

“Our industry has an unequivocal commitment to safety and quality,” said FJATA Executive Director Michael Gale. “Science, not the news media, must be the means by which we assess the safety of our products. For this reason, FJATA has urged the development of a national robust, science-based standard for all metals in children’s jewelry, including cadmium, that builds on our members’ long-standing heavy metal testing protocol.”

“We are pleased that the ASTM process has started to develop a voluntary national standard for children’s jewelry,” concluded Gale. “We will actively participate and look forward to working with CPSC, and consumer and industry groups to develop a science-based voluntary standard as quickly as possible.”

The working group will meet again later in the summer to further review scoping and testing recommendations preparatory to developing a proposed standard. Once agreement is reached, the proposed draft standard will be balloted for public review and comment.

The Fashion Jewelry and Accessory Trade Association (FJATA) is based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The Association represents producers, suppliers and retailers of fashion jewelry. Its 200+ members strongly support safe jewelry for all consumers and advocate the adoption of risk-based standards that assure safety and maintain business competitiveness.