Brass and Plated Jewellery Inspection

How base metal jewellery is made in India

Most export fashion jewellery starts as a brass or copper stamping, a brass casting, or a zinc alloy or white-metal casting poured into rubber moulds. Pieces are filed, tumbled and polished, then electroplated: a copper or nickel underlayer, then the colour layer of gold, rhodium, silver, gunmetal or an antique finish. Many workshops lacquer over the plating to slow tarnish. Stones, glass and enamel are set or glued after plating, and ear wires, posts, clasps and chains are often bought in from separate suppliers and fitted at the end.

Each step is a place where the finished piece can drift from the tested sample. A different casting alloy, a nickel strike under the gold, a new batch of ear posts or a thinner colour layer all change how the piece behaves on skin, and none is obvious from a photo. Imitation jewellery of base metal (HS 7117 19) was worth US$34.13 million of exports in FY2025-26 (TradeStat, provisional).

Kundan, polki-style and meenakari pieces

Traditional-look fashion jewellery adds its own risks. In imitation kundan work, glass stones are backed with metal foil and set into a frame, often on a lac or wax filling, with the frame then plated. In meenakari, coloured enamel is laid into recesses in the metal; on fashion pieces it is usually a cold enamel or a low-fired paint rather than a true vitreous enamel.

Stone retention. Foil-backed stones held by a thin lip of metal or by glue can drop out. The inspector presses each stone and checks for gaps and glue spill.
Foil tarnish. Moisture behind the stone darkens the foil and dulls the sparkle; it shows as grey patches.
Enamel chips and colour. Edges of each enamel field, colour against the sample, bubbles and smears.
Lead. Enamels fused at 500 °C or more are exempt from the EU lead limit; paints and cold enamels are not, so a "meena" finish may need its own lab test.
Weight and balance. Heavy chandelier earrings and chokers are checked for posts that bend and hooks that open under the piece's own weight.

What we check on base metal jewellery

Check	How it is checked	What fails
Plating colour	Side by side with the approved sample under daylight lamp	Tone outside the agreed range; mixed tones in one set
Plating coverage	Edges, prongs, inside of rings and backs of pendants under magnification	Base metal showing, blisters, peeling, thin patches on high points
Ear posts and wires	Straightness, tip finish, fixing to the earring; supplier and lot against the tested sample	Burrs, bent posts, loose solder, posts from an unapproved lot
Clasps and jump rings	Open and close cycles; pull by hand or gauge on an agreed sample	Lobster claw spring weak, jump ring gap that lets the chain slip out
Stones and glass	Press test, tilt and shake; count against the drawing	Missing or loose stones, glue spill, chipped facets
Edges	Fingers run over the back, inside and clasp area	Casting flash, sharp points that scratch skin or snag clothing
Dimensions	Chain length, pendant and drop size, ring size against the specification	Short chains, wrong ring sizes in the assortment
Labels and claims	Cards and hangtags read against your artwork	"Nickel free" or "lead free" claims with no matching test report; missing age grading

Common base metal fashion jewellery defects and how they are classed

Defect	Typical cause	Class
Lab result over the nickel, lead or cadmium limit	Nickel underplating, leaded white metal, cadmium-bearing solder	Critical
Small part that detaches from children's jewellery	Glued charm or stone with no mechanical hold	Critical
Base metal exposed on an ear post or ring shank	Thin plating, polishing through after plating	Major
Clasp or jump ring opens under light pull	Soft wire, open rings not closed fully	Major
Loose or missing stone	Weak glue, prongs not set down	Major
Sharp casting flash	Poor filing or tumbling	Major
Plating tone slightly off the sample	Bath chemistry or timing	Minor
Light lacquer runs or fingerprints	Handling before the lacquer cured	Minor

Your defect list decides the final class.

Market rules for base metal jewellery

EU nickel. Under REACH Annex XVII entry 27, piercing posts must release less than 0.2 µg/cm²/week and other parts in prolonged skin contact no more than 0.5. A plated piece must stay within the limit for at least two years of normal use, which labs check by EN 12472 wear simulation before the EN 1811 release test. See EU nickel, lead and cadmium rules.
EU lead and cadmium. Each part below 0.05% lead (entry 63) and metal parts below 0.01% cadmium (entry 23). See REACH.
US children's jewellery. Jewellery designed mainly for children 12 and under is a children's product: 100 ppm total lead in accessible parts, testing by a CPSC-accepted lab, tracking labels and a Children's Product Certificate. ASTM F2923 sets further requirements for children's jewellery; ASTM F2999 covers adult jewellery. See CPSIA children's products.
California. Lead and cadmium are on the Prop 65 list; see Prop 65.

Nickel release, lead and cadmium are lab tests, arranged through lab testing coordination.

Packing, transit and your purchase order

Plated jewellery tarnishes in humid air and scratches against other pieces. Each piece or set should be carded or bagged on its own, in a sealed or anti-tarnish bag where agreed, with chains secured so they do not knot. Heavy earrings need a backing that holds the post. The inspector checks that cards and bags match the artwork, that barcodes scan to the right style, and that inner boxes do not crush in the carton.

Put these in your purchase order:

Base metal for each part, plating sequence and whether a nickel underlayer is allowed.
Plating colour reference and a minimum colour layer thickness if you need one.
Approved suppliers or lots for ear posts, wires, clasps and chains.
Stone type, setting method (prong, bezel or glue) and acceptable glue line.
Pull values for clasps and jump rings, and the sample size for destructive tests.
Labels: age grading, care, origin, and any claim wording backed by a test report.

For solid silver pieces see sterling silver jewellery. Book an inspection.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Is zinc alloy jewellery riskier than brass?

Not by default, but cheap zinc and white-metal castings can contain lead or cadmium above the limits, and they take plating less evenly. Brass can contain lead too. The alloy must be tested on production, not just the first sample.

Can gold plating hide nickel?

Yes. Many plating lines put a nickel layer under the gold. It is invisible when new, but once the gold wears through at a clasp or post, nickel touches the skin. That is why the EU test wears the coating before measuring release.

Are kundan and meenakari pieces tested differently?

The same limits apply, but each material is checked: foil, glass, lac filling, paint or enamel. Vitreous enamel fused at 500 °C or more is exempt from the EU lead limit; cold enamel and paint are not.

What does a 'nickel free' claim need?

A test report on the same plating and findings showing nickel release well within the limit, and agreement with your buyer on the wording. The inspector checks the claim on the card matches the report you hold.

How many pieces are pull-tested?

That is agreed before the inspection, usually a small special-level sample per style, because the test can damage the piece. The inspector records the force or result and any failures by style.

Know before it ships

Tell us the product, the factory's city and your ready date. We confirm the inspector, the notice time and the price before you book.

Book an inspection Check your city

Base metal fashion jewellery inspection: brass, zinc alloy and plated