TEYING BUYER GUIDE · UPDATED OCTOBER 6, 2026

Jewelry QC and AQL: Acceptable Defect Rates Explained for Buyers

AQL numbers decide whether a jewelry order passes inspection, but the standard tables were written for general manufacturing, not for stones, clasps and plating. This guide explains the defect classes buyers use for jewelry, the rates that go into contracts, and how to define each defect before production starts.

By Qiu Qiu, Founder and Design Lead at TEYING · October 6, 2026

The AQL conversation starts where the search results stop

Search "jewelry AQL" in English and you get standard PDFs and academic papers. The top ten results explain the statistics; almost none explain jewelry. So buyers do what buyers do: copy an AQL clause from a template, sign it, and hope the inspector and the factory share a definition of "defect." They usually do not.

AQL works fine for jewelry once you add the missing layer: a defect definition table written for stones, clasps and plating. Here is how that layer looks in practice.

The three defect classes

Critical and functional: zero accepted

Some failures end the sale on the spot: a broken chain, a clasp that will not close, a stone that moves in its setting, a post bent past straightening. These are written as zero accepted, because no buyer anywhere accepts a piece that cannot be worn or sold. In jewelry contracts this class is sometimes labeled critical, sometimes functional. The label matters less than making sure the definition list names every failure that kills the piece.

Major: commonly AQL 1.5

A major defect is one a customer would return: uneven or patchy plating, visible scratches on the face of a pendant, a stone set off center, color that drifts from the approved sample. Major defect rates are commonly written at 1.5. Major retailers and fashion jewelry brands commonly set a total major-defect ceiling below 2%, which tells you where the industry's serious players put the line.

Minor: commonly AQL 4.0

Minor defects would not trigger a return in most stores: light surface marks, slight color variation from piece to piece, faint tooling marks on a back face. These are commonly written at 4.0. The test for minor is not "can I see it" but "would the customer care."

The numbers control a sample, not the shipment

One thing to understand before signing: AQL is applied to a sample drawn from the lot at a stated inspection level, commonly level II. A passed inspection means the sample met the accept rule. It does not certify every piece in the cartons. That is why the contract needs three lines, not one:

• the sampling terms (single sampling, inspection level II)
• the AQL value for each defect class
• the defect definition table

Skip the third line and the other two argue with each other forever.

What goes in a jewelry defect definition table

• Stones: what counts as loose, what counts as missing, the tolerance for off-center setting
• Clasps and closures: how a clasp gets tested during inspection, and what counts as failure
• Plating: the approved sample as the color and finish baseline; bubbles, scrapes, and wear-through to base metal defined as major
• Surface: which faces matter (visible face versus reverse), and what depth of scratch is major versus minor
• Structural: hook gaps, pin straightness, chain link gaps

Two photos per defect — one pass, one fail — beat any paragraph of description. Ask the factory to shoot them during the first inspection and keep them as the annex to the purchase order.

Writing AQL into the purchase order

• Reference the approved physical sample and keep a signed copy with the PO.
• State single sampling and inspection level II.
• Set AQL values per class: 0 for critical, 1.5 major, 4.0 minor, tightened to your market.
• Attach the defect definition table with photos.
• Name who inspects — factory QC, third party, or both — and at what stage.
• Write the consequence of failure: rework, replacement, or credit, and who pays the freight.

The following is an illustrative procurement scenario, not a claim about a named customer or a published TEYING order.

A buyer accepted a template AQL clause with one flaw: nobody defined "uneven plating." The factory's QC read it as coverage; the buyer read it as color consistency. The inspection passed on paper at 4.0 minor while the buyer, opening the boxes, scored the same pieces as major. Rework happened anyway, slowly, and the second PO carried a two-photo definition for every finish defect. The reorder had no arguments, because there was nothing left to interpret.

If you are close to placing a production order, the fastest way to make QC boring is to define defects before the first unit is made. Send your quality expectations with the design brief through the TEYING quote form and the inspection terms can come back with the quotation.

FAQ

What AQL values are typical for jewelry?

Zero accepted for critical and functional defects, 1.5 for major, 4.0 for minor. Major brands commonly set a total major-defect ceiling under 2%. Your numbers can be tighter, and for high-value lines they usually are.

What counts as a critical defect in jewelry?

Anything that makes the piece unwearable or unsellable: broken chain, failed clasp, loose or missing stone, bent post. The definition list should name every failure you would never ship, because the inspector only applies what is written.

Does passing AQL mean the whole order is fine?

No. The result describes the sample, at the stated inspection level. If you need stronger cover, raise the sampling level or add a full check on the pieces that carry the highest return risk.

How do I define defects if I am not an inspector?

Use photos, not vocabulary. Approve the physical sample, then shoot pass and fail images for each defect class during the first inspection and attach them to the PO. The photos become the shared language between your expectations and the factory floor.

Can I inspect every piece instead of sampling?

It is possible, and buyers of high-value pieces sometimes run both: sampled AQL for the lot, a full check for the hero items. Ask the factory what a full inspection does to lead time and unit cost before you commit to it.