China is the default source. Split verdict: China supplied 57.4% of US fashion-jewelry imports by value in 2025, but under 3.8% of US gold and silver jewelry imports (UN Comtrade).
Is China still the default source for jewelry?
For fashion jewelry, yes; for gold and silver jewelry, no. Jewelry manufacturing is the making of rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and similar worn ornaments, and trade data split it in two: imitation or fashion jewelry of base metal and plated alloys (HS 7117), and articles of jewelry of precious metal (HS 7113). The page verdict, China is the default source, applies to fashion jewelry, which is what most importers sourcing from Chinese factories buy. For precious-metal jewelry the accurate verdict is the opposite: volume has shifted elsewhere.
The figures come from UN Comtrade, the United Nations trade database, with the United States reporting its own imports (UN Comtrade, HS 7117, queried October 2026).
| US imports | Total value | China, share of value | Other leading suppliers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion jewelry (7117), 2025 | $0.81 billion | 57.4% (85.2% of weight) | Italy 9.7%, France 8.2% |
| Fashion jewelry (7117), 2024 | $0.99 billion | 65.4% | not extracted |
| Precious-metal jewelry (7113), 2025 | $12.06 billion | below 3.8% (not in top eight) | India 18.2%, Italy 15.6%, France 14.2%, Thailand 11.2% |
| Precious-metal jewelry (7113), 2024 | $14.53 billion | 3.0% (30.0% of weight) | Hong Kong a further 4.8% |
| Precious-metal jewelry (7113), 2018 | $8.80 billion | 14.3% | not extracted |
The gap between value and weight is the key reading. In 2024 China shipped 3.0% of the value of US precious-metal jewelry imports but 30.0% of the weight, which indicates mostly low-value silver and base-gold pieces rather than high-karat fine jewelry. In fashion jewelry, China's 85.2% share of weight in 2025 shows a near-total hold on volume, even as its value share fell eight points in one year.
China's production is far larger than its US sales suggest. With China as the reporter, Comtrade shows $12.73 billion of precious-metal jewelry exports in 2025 and $4.51 billion of fashion-jewelry exports in 2024. The US takes a small part of that precious-metal total; where the rest goes was not established for this page.
Where jewelry is made in China
Trade sources commonly name the clusters below. None has been confirmed in an official or academic document, and no output or enterprise counts were found, so treat the list as orientation:
- Panyu (Guangzhou): contract fine-jewelry manufacturing for export, including Hong Kong-owned factories.
- Shuibei (Luohu District, Shenzhen): gold jewelry wholesale and manufacturing for the domestic market.
- Yiwu (Zhejiang): fashion jewelry.
- Dongguan (Guangdong): stainless-steel jewelry.
- Qingdao (Shandong): costume jewelry.
- Wuzhou (Guangxi): synthetic gemstones.
- Haifeng and Zhuji: pearls.
The division matters for sourcing. A buyer of plated base-metal fashion pieces and a buyer of 18-karat gold are, in practice, dealing with different clusters, different factory types and different compliance questions.
How jewelry production is organized
Casting is the core process. A designer's CAD model is 3D-printed in resin to make a master; rubber molds are taken from the master; wax copies are injected into the molds; and the waxes are invested and burned out for lost-wax casting, in which molten metal replaces the wax. Stamping, chain-making, plating and stone-setting follow, depending on the piece.
- Fashion jewelry is made in zinc alloy, brass, copper, stainless steel, or 925 sterling silver, usually with plating.
- Fine jewelry is often bought on a "metal plus labor" structure: the gold or silver content is priced against the spot metal price at an agreed point, and the making charge is quoted separately. A quote that does not separate the two cannot be compared with one that does.
Minimums and lead times
No authoritative source publishes typical jewelry MOQs (minimum order quantities). Structurally, the minimum is driven by the mold made for each design, by plating batch sizes and by the lots in which stones are bought. No official lead-time figure exists either; a new design adds CAD, master and mold work before production begins, while a piece from a factory's existing molds does not.
Tariffs on Chinese jewelry, as of October 2026
Jewelry is classified in HTSUS Chapter 71. Heading 7113 covers precious-metal jewelry, split by metal (silver, gold, platinum) and by value per dozen; heading 7116 covers articles of pearls or precious and semi-precious stones; heading 7117 covers imitation jewelry.
| Layer | Instrument | Jewelry coverage |
|---|---|---|
| MFN (column 1 general) rate | HTSUS Chapter 71, Revision 22 | Line-specific: 11% for imitation jewelry of base metal, other (7117.19.90); 5.5% for precious-metal jewelry, other (7113.19.50) |
| Section 301 List 4A, +7.5% | 9903.88.15 | All 15 heading 7113 subheadings, 11 of 15 heading 7117 subheadings, and 6 heading 7116 lines |
| No 2018 Section 301 list | US Note 20, Chapter 99 | 7117.19.05, 7117.90.45, 7117.90.60 and 7117.90.75 |
| Section 301 forced-labor action, +12.5% | 9903.05.31, from 24 July 2026 | Products of China, subject to annex exceptions |
None of these headings is on List 3. The list counts come from US Note 20 in HTSUS Chapter 99, Revision 22, and do not net out product exclusions, so each line should still be checked individually.
The USTR notice for the forced-labor action (dockets USTR-2026-0265 and -0266) does not state how it combines with List 4A. HTSUS Chapter 99 U.S. note 52(a) says such goods "shall also be subject to any additional duty provided for in this subchapter", which places it on top. The same action applies 10% to India. Thailand is not on the 10% list, which suggests the 12.5% rate, but that has not been confirmed. The IEEPA tariffs ended after the Supreme Court's 20 February 2026 decision in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, and the 10% Section 122 surcharge that replaced them expired on 24 July 2026. A licensed customs broker should confirm the classification, particularly for plated silver and mixed-material pieces.
US rules for imported jewelry
- Children's jewelry. Jewelry designed primarily for children 12 and under is a children's product under the CPSIA. It must meet the 100 ppm total-lead limit for accessible components (16 CFR 1500.91(a)) and the 90 ppm limit for paint and surface coatings (16 CFR 1303.1), be tested at a CPSC-accepted third-party laboratory, and carry a Children's Product Certificate.
- Cadmium. No federal numeric cadmium limit for children's jewelry was found in the CFR. The voluntary standard ASTM F2923 addresses cadmium, and California and several other states set statutory limits; the thresholds were not confirmed for this page.
- California lead law and Prop 65. California Health and Safety Code §25214.1 et seq. sets lead limits for all jewelry, not only children's pieces, and Proposition 65 warnings apply to lead and cadmium. Thresholds were not confirmed for this page.
- Metal claims. The FTC Jewelry Guides (16 CFR Part 23) govern metal-content terms. "Vermeil", for example, means sterling silver plated with gold of at least 10 karat, at a minimum thickness equivalent to 2.5 microns of fine gold (16 CFR 23.4(b)).
- Fineness stamps. The National Gold and Silver Stamping Act (15 U.S.C. 291 et seq.) governs quality marks such as "925" and "18K".
- Origin marking. Required under 19 CFR 134.11.
Where jewelry production is shifting
The two segments are moving differently. In precious-metal jewelry, China's US share collapsed from 14.3% in 2018 to 3.0% in 2024 and fell out of the top eight in 2025, while India, Italy, France and Thailand together supplied about 59% of the $12.06 billion total. In fashion jewelry, China's share of value slipped from 65.4% in 2024 to 57.4% in 2025, with Italy and France next at 9.7% and 8.2%; on weight, China's hold is essentially unchanged.
For a US importer of plated or base-metal fashion pieces, the practical alternatives to China remain small by volume. For a buyer of gold or silver jewelry for the US market, Chinese factories are now a minority source; the leading US suppliers are India, Italy, France and Thailand.
Common mistakes and how to evaluate a jewelry supplier
- Skipping tests on "adult-styled" pieces sold to tweens. Children's product status depends on the intended user, and lead and cadmium in cheap base-metal alloys are the recurring problem.
- Treating a "925" or "18K" stamp as proof. Fineness claims fall under the FTC Guides and the Stamping Act, and terms such as "vermeil" and "gold-filled" have defined meanings.
- Assuming one tariff for all jewelry. 7113 and 7117 carry different MFN rates, and four 7117 lines are on no 2018 Section 301 list.
- Reading value shares as volume. China's 3.0% value share of US precious-metal imports in 2024 sat alongside a 30.0% weight share.
Evaluating a jewelry supplier is mostly a materials question. Ask for the alloy specification of every component, including clasps, jump rings and solder, and for laboratory reports on lead and cadmium content for any piece that could be marketed to children or sold in California. For plated goods, ask for the plating metal, karat and thickness in writing, because those figures determine which FTC terms can legally be used. For fine jewelry, ask for the quote to separate metal content from the making charge, and for assay or fineness test results that support the stamp.
Frequently asked questions
Does most US jewelry come from China?
Most fashion jewelry does; most gold and silver jewelry does not. China supplied 57.4% of the value and 85.2% of the weight of US imitation-jewelry imports (HS 7117) in 2025, according to UN Comtrade. In precious-metal jewelry (HS 7113), China was not among the top eight US suppliers in 2025; India led with 18.2%, followed by Italy, France and Thailand.
What tariff applies to jewelry imported from China?
As of October 2026, most Chinese jewelry pays the MFN rate for its HTS line, plus 7.5% under Section 301 List 4A, plus 12.5% under the forced-labor Section 301 action in effect since 24 July 2026, unless an annex exception applies. List 4A covers all heading 7113 lines and 11 of 15 heading 7117 lines; four imitation-jewelry lines carry no 2018 Section 301 duty.
Does children's jewelry need lead testing?
Yes. Jewelry designed primarily for children 12 and under is a children's product under the CPSIA. It must meet the 100 ppm total-lead limit for accessible components and the 90 ppm limit for paint and coatings (16 CFR 1500.91 and 1303.1), be tested at a CPSC-accepted third-party laboratory, and carry a Children's Product Certificate. State cadmium limits may also apply.
Where is China's jewelry industry?
Trade sources most often name Panyu in Guangzhou for export fine-jewelry manufacturing and Shuibei in Shenzhen for gold jewelry aimed at the domestic market, with Yiwu in Zhejiang for fashion jewelry, Dongguan for stainless steel, Qingdao for costume jewelry and Wuzhou for synthetic gemstones. These clusters have not been confirmed in official or academic sources, so verify each factory directly.
What does vermeil legally mean in the US?
Under the FTC Jewelry Guides, vermeil means sterling silver that has been plated with gold of at least 10 karat, at a minimum thickness equivalent to 2.5 microns of fine gold (16 CFR 23.4(b)). A piece of plated brass or base metal cannot be described as vermeil, and a thinner gold layer does not meet the definition.
What is a typical jewelry MOQ in China?
No authoritative source publishes a typical figure. Jewelry minimums are driven by the mold made for each design, by plating batch sizes and by the lots in which stones are purchased. Ordering from a factory's existing designs avoids new molds, while a custom design adds CAD, master-model and mold work that the factory must spread across the order.
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division — UN Comtrade database, US imports by partner, HS 7117 and 7113
- U.S. International Trade Commission — Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 22 (2026), Chapter 99, Subchapter III, U.S. Note 20
- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative — Notice of Actions in Section 301 Investigations of Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies Rela…
- comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS?reporterCode=842&period=2025&cmd…
- hts.usitc.gov/reststop/file?release=currentRelease&filename=Chapter%2071
- ecfr.gov/current/title-16/section-1500.91
- ecfr.gov/current/title-16/section-23.4
- ecfr.gov/current/title-16/section-1303.1