Jewelry Material Declarations and Quality Marks: A Buyer's Checklist
A useful custom jewelry brief separates the base material, surface coating, stone description and proposed mark. Send those details with the intended sales market before requesting a quotation. A color name or an engraved number cannot establish the construction of the whole product.
This TEYING buyer guide turns material-description questions into a purchasing checklist. The examples are conditional wording examples, not specifications for every product we manufacture. Ask which materials, documents and marking options apply to your particular design.
What should be written into the quotation?
Record the material of the main body and identify any separately sourced chain, clasp, ear post or finding. State the requested coating color separately from its composition. A request for an 18K-like yellow color does not by itself specify an 18K gold alloy layer.
| Quote field | Information to record | Question for the supplier |
|---|---|---|
| Item and components | Style reference and named parts | Do the chain and clasp have the same construction as the pendant? |
| Base material | Agreed metal or alloy description | Is this a supplier declaration or supported by an identified report? |
| Coating | Composition, process and requested color | Is the coating gold-bearing or only gold-colored? |
| Thickness | Layer, measurement basis and relevant locations | Does the figure describe the gold layer, a total coating or a fine-gold equivalent? |
| Stone | Material identity, origin category and disclosed treatment | Is the trade name supported by a material description? |
| Proposed mark | Exact text, position and applicable component | Could a reader mistake this mark for a claim about the whole piece? |
Treat an unanswered field as a question to resolve, not as permission to reuse a similar product's specification.
Which metal descriptions need different evidence?
The FTC gold-description guidance distinguishes a gold-coated product from one made throughout of a gold alloy. A gold-filled claim also involves a mechanically applied construction and other conditions; a weight fraction alone is not a complete specification. Request the relevant construction record before choosing the description.
For a sterling-silver description, check the silver composition rather than the visible color. The silver guidance identifies at least 925 parts per thousand for sterling. Silver-colored metal and silver-plated base metal require different descriptions.
For US vermeil wording, §23.4 includes a sterling base, qualifying gold fineness, coverage, reasonable durability and a minimum thickness equivalent to 2.5 microns of fine gold. Confirm the report's thickness basis before treating a physical alloy-layer measurement as that equivalent. An intervening base-metal layer also needs appropriate disclosure.
Can an 18K mark be placed on a gold-plated item?
Do not treat an isolated 18K mark as a safe shorthand for an 18K surface layer. Show the exact proposed marking and the complete construction to the responsible reviewer. Its placement and surrounding wording matter because the mark may suggest that the whole article is a gold alloy.
The quality-mark guidance addresses marks that apply to only part of a product and misleading differences in prominence. A logo approval does not establish that a precious-metal quality mark is appropriate. Keep branding approval and material-mark approval as separate decisions.
Compare two suppliers using the same brief
Use one reference sample and one component list. Ask each supplier to identify substitutions, exclusions and unresolved fields alongside the price. Check whether the quote includes a chain, packaging, a requested marking operation and any separately agreed testing.
TEYING's current minimum is 60 pieces per style. Ask how sizes and colors may be allocated within the proposed order. Historical quantities in customer records do not establish current mixed-variant terms. Report availability, testing scope, cost and lead time must be confirmed for the project; this guide does not promise a standard document bundle for every order.
Our ring repeat-purchasing case shows why sizes and variants need an identifiable record. The redacted transaction examples are evidence of purchasing activity, not metal assay or coating-test reports.
Buyer questions
Is a 925 stamp enough to establish the whole specification?
A stamp is a representation to check. It does not supply the coating thickness, stone identity or the construction of every separate component.
Does PVD automatically mean a real gold layer?
The process name alone does not identify the coating composition. Request the layer description. Do not infer gold content or durability from a gold-colored appearance.
Will a thickness report establish waterproof performance?
A report supports only its stated measurements and scope. Keep performance questions separate and request relevant evidence for the actual construction and proposed use claim.
Can the same report be attached to every style?
Check which sample, material, finish and components it identifies. Do not extend its conclusions to another style without a justified basis.
What should I send for a marking discussion?
Send the design, destination market, component materials, proposed wording and location. Include available sample or report references and identify any missing information.
Prepare your next quotation
Send a material and marking brief with your reference image, quantity by variant, destination market, component list and proposed quality mark. Mark uncertain material or coating fields explicitly so they can be discussed before sample approval.