Search how to sell jewelry from China and you get wholesale market guides, a supplier platform's certificate checklist and lab news about heavy metals. None of them tells a brand what its product page is allowed to say, which limits its metal has to meet, and what happens to the parcel once it leaves the factory.

The short answer: plain metal, glass and stone jewelry ships on the general goods products that parcel lines out of China run, so the shipping is the easy part. The work sits in two places. The words on your listing, because in the US "gold plated", "vermeil" and "sterling" each have a meaning set by the FTC. And the metal itself, because the EU and California cap how much nickel, lead and cadmium it may release or contain.

This guide covers:

• What "gold plated", "gold filled", "vermeil" and "925" have to mean in the US
• The EU limits for nickel, lead and cadmium in jewelry
• California's lead and cadmium rules, and the federal rule for children's jewelry
• Which line jewelry ships on, and the pieces that need a different one
• How to pack it and how long it takes

What your listing can call the metal

In the US, the FTC's Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals and Pewter Industries set out what each common term has to mean. They are guidance on what counts as deceptive, and they apply to whoever describes the product, which on a Shopify store is you. A supplier's listing on a wholesale site often uses these words loosely.

• Gold plated. The plating is at least 10 karat and covers all significant surfaces, and the karat is shown just as clearly, such as "14K gold plated".
• Gold electroplate. At least 0.175 microns of fine gold. Heavy gold electroplate needs at least 2.5 microns.
• Gold filled. The gold layer is bonded on mechanically and makes up at least 1/20th of the weight of the metal in the piece. Rolled gold plate needs at least 1/40th.
• Vermeil. A sterling silver base coated with gold of at least 10 karat, at least 2.5 microns thick. If there is a nickel layer between the silver and the gold, that has to be disclosed.
• Sterling, sterling silver or 925. At least 925 parts per thousand pure silver. "Silver" on its own needs a fineness mark in front of it, such as "750 silver", and a silver-plated piece cannot be stamped "sterling".
• A thin wash of gold over base metal has to be described as just that.

Two words customers search for are not defined in those Guides: "hypoallergenic" and "nickel free". Use them only when a test report backs them up, because a customer with a nickel allergy will test the claim for you.

Ask the factory for the base metal, the plating karat and the plating thickness in microns, in writing, before you write the listing. The guide to verifying a Chinese supplier before you pay covers the rest of what to ask for.

The EU limits for nickel, lead and cadmium

The EU caps three metals in jewelry under its chemicals rules (REACH, Annex XVII). They apply to whoever places the piece on the EU market, and EU and UK product safety reports have repeatedly flagged jewelry for all three.

• Nickel. This is a release limit, not a ban. Posts that go into pierced ears or other piercings must release less than 0.2 µg/cm² a week. Other pieces in long contact with skin, such as necklaces, bracelets, rings, chains, anklets and watch straps, must release no more than 0.5. A plating only counts if it keeps release within that limit for at least two years of normal wear.
• Lead. Under 0.05% by weight in any single part of the piece, including imitation jewelry and hair accessories. Crystal glass, untreated gemstones and enamels have their own exceptions.
• Cadmium. Under 0.01% by weight of the metal, in every metal part, and in metal beads and parts sold for jewelry making.

Cheap base metal and old plating stock are where these go wrong, so ask for a lab test report for each metal, made on your piece rather than a sample of the factory's choosing. This is a summary, not legal advice; a test lab or compliance service can check your exact range.

California and children's jewelry in the US

In the US, the rules to know for the metal are about lead, and one state goes further than the federal rule.

Children's jewelry. For products meant for children 12 and under, federal law bans more than 100 ppm of lead in any part a child can reach, and the maker or importer has to issue a Children's Product Certificate for it. If a piece is marketed to children, treat it as a children's product from the first sample.

California. California sets its own rules for jewelry sold there:

• Adult jewelry must be made entirely from listed materials, such as stainless or surgical steel, karat gold, sterling silver, platinum, pearls, glass, crystal, cubic zirconia and most gemstones, or else keep each metal, coating and other material under 0.05% lead (0.02% for some plastics).
• Body piercing jewelry is limited to a short list: implant-grade steel or titanium, niobium, solid 14 karat or higher nickel-free gold, solid platinum and certain dense plastics.
• Children's jewelry must stay under 0.01% lead in every reachable part and under 0.03% cadmium.

Because a Shopify store sells into California from the first order, the California list is a fair standard to buy to.

Which line jewelry ships on

Parcel lines out of China run separate products by goods class, and a parcel goes on the one its contents allow. YunExpress, a frontier line, runs general "Economy, Unrestricted" beside "Economy with Battery", "Cosmetics Economy, Restricted" and "Clothing Economy" products. SDH, a lowest-cost line to the US, runs general goods, battery and sensitive goods lines.

Rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets in metal, glass or stone are general goods, the easiest class there is. A jewelry store often sells more than that, and a few items change the line:

• Magnets, such as magnetic clasps or magnetic therapy bracelets, are treated as sensitive goods by many lines.
• LED jewelry, smart rings and light-up gift boxes carry a battery and follow the rules in the guide to shipping products with batteries from China.
• Perfume in a gift set counts as flammable on a flight and many lines refuse it, as the guide to shipping cosmetics and skincare from China explains. Jewelry cleaner is a liquid and goes the same way.

Tell the line exactly what is in the parcel and let it pick the product. A magnet or a battery packed as general goods can be held or sent back, and the wait lands on your customer.

How long jewelry takes, and how to pack it

The measured parcels hold too few jewelry-only stores to give jewelry a delivery figure of its own, so the times here are for general goods, the product most jewelry ships on. On YunExpress to the US, parcels with a first carrier scan in June and July 2026, the per-store median on the general goods Economy product ran 9.2 to 15.7 days. On SDH, a lowest-cost line, the general goods product ran 14.0 to 21.9. The line made far more difference than the goods class.

Jewelry is small and light, so the parcel is cheap to send. What it does do is arrive scratched, knotted or tarnished when it is packed loosely:

• Bag each piece in its own anti-tarnish or zip bag, so silver and plated pieces do not darken on the way
• Keep chains apart and fasten them, so they do not arrive in one knot
• Use a small box or a padded mailer, because a thin poly bag lets rings and studs get crushed
• Count the pieces in a set before it is sealed, so an earring short is caught on the floor and not by the customer
• Choose a tracked line for higher-priced pieces; the guide to shipping protection for parcels from China covers what to do when one goes missing

What to do

• Get the base metal, plating karat and plating thickness in writing before you write the listing
• Match every word to the FTC meaning: gold plated, gold filled, vermeil, sterling, 925
• Drop "hypoallergenic" and "nickel free" unless a test report backs them up
• Ask for lab reports on nickel release, lead and cadmium made on your piece, before you sell in the EU
• Buy to California's material list, since your store already sells there
• Treat anything for children as a children's product, with a certificate, from the first sample
• Sort your range by goods class: general, magnet, battery or liquid
• Pack each piece on its own and measure delivery on real orders, per line and per country

How we handle this at Commercive

Commercive is your all in one sourcing and fulfilment partner. We source from a product link or a photo across our vetted factories, or work with the supplier you already use, and we test products without holding you to the factory's minimum, which suits a jewelry store trying ten designs to find the two that sell.

Your stock is received on our floor in China and packed piece by piece, and every order ships on the line that fits the product and the destination: a general goods line for metal, glass and stone, a sensitive line when there is a magnet or a liquid, and a battery line when a piece lights up. Each parcel's scans sit in our dashboard. We recommend frontier lines such as YunExpress to essentially everyone; a lower-cost line might suit low-price fashion jewelry with patient customers. Our measured delivery times by line and country are on our shipping status page.

If you're currently running a brand, just give us the product and your daily order volume. We'll get you a quote within the next 24 hours to hold up against what you're paying today.

Where these numbers come from. The US metal terms are from the FTC's Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals and Pewter Industries, 16 CFR 23.3, 23.4 and 23.5, read 25 October 2026. The EU limits are from REACH Annex XVII entries 27 (nickel), 63 (lead) and 23 (cadmium), as added by Regulations (EC) No 552/2009, (EU) No 836/2012 and (EU) No 494/2011, read 25 October 2026. The California rules are from Health and Safety Code section 25214.2, and the federal children's lead limit from 15 U.S.C. 1278a as summarised by the CPSC, both read 25 October 2026. This is a summary, not legal advice. Line product names are the carriers' own. Delivery times are our own measurement: parcels to the US from stores we fulfil from China, first carrier scan 1 June to 31 July 2026, test stores excluded, calendar days from the first scan to the first delivered scan, measured 25 October 2026, shown as the range of per-store medians for stores with at least 30 parcels on that line product.

Can you dropship jewelry from China?

Yes. Rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets in metal, glass or stone ship on the general goods products that parcel lines out of China run. Pieces with magnets, batteries or perfume in the set need a different product, and some lines refuse perfume outright.

What is the difference between gold plated, gold filled and vermeil?

Under the FTC's Jewelry Guides, gold plated means at least 10 karat gold on all significant surfaces, with the karat shown. Gold filled means a bonded gold layer that makes up at least 1/20th of the metal's weight. Vermeil means sterling silver under at least 10 karat gold that is at least 2.5 microns thick.

Can I call jewelry from China 925 or sterling silver?

Only if it is at least 925 parts per thousand pure silver. A silver-plated piece cannot be stamped "sterling", and "silver" on its own needs a fineness mark in front of it. Ask the factory for the metal in writing, and test a sample if the price looks too good for real sterling.

What are the EU nickel limits for jewelry?

Posts that go into pierced ears or other piercings must release less than 0.2 µg/cm² of nickel a week, and other jewelry in long contact with skin no more than 0.5. Lead must stay under 0.05% by weight in any part, and cadmium under 0.01% of the metal.

Do I need to test jewelry sourced from China?

For the EU and California it is the only way to show the metal meets the limits, so ask for a lab report on nickel release, lead and cadmium made on your own piece. For children's jewelry in the US, a Children's Product Certificate is required.

How long does jewelry take to ship from China to the US?

About as long as general goods on the same line. On YunExpress in June and July 2026, the per-store median on the general goods product ran 9.2 to 15.7 days from the first carrier scan to delivery. A lowest-cost line took longer, 14.0 to 21.9.