CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND RETAIL E-SSENTIALS

USA: ASTM publishes F2923-20 on specification of children’s jewellery

MARCH 2020 – RELEVANT FOR: CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS

In March, the ASTM Committee has published standard F2923-20¹ on safety specification for children’s jewellery. The major changes to the new version are the update of screening level of cadmium content and the addition of phthalates requirement. 

The standard defines children’s jewellery as a product principally designed and intended as an ornament worn by a child 12 years of age or younger. However, toy jewellery or items whose primary purpose is functional like key chain are not included.

Comparing to the previous version in 2014, ASTM F2923-20 lowers the screening level of cadmium content from 300 ppm to 75 ppm to align with the toy standard. If metal or plastic component of children’s jewellery contains total cadmium exceeds this level, further migratable analysis is required.

Following the CPSC phthalates ban, ASTM also restricts 8 phthalates in this updated standard. Plasticized components of children’s jewellery should not contain more than 0.1% of the phthalates. Specified plastics that are determined not to exceed the limit under 16 CFR Part 1308 are exempted.

The revisions to ASTM F2923-20 also include other changes such as update on referenced documents, removal of alternative test methods and the editorial amendments.

Apart from the update to children’s jewellery standard, ASTM Committee also reviewed and revised the adult jewellery standard ASTM F2999² in December 2019. The revisions do not impact the test requirements, it mainly updated the suitable test methods for total heavy metals and deleted the annex of alternative test methods. 

[1] ASTM F2923-20

[2] ASTM F2999-19