CandleGPSRGPSR for Handmade Jewelry Sellers on Etsy: What the EU Rules Ask For
Published 2026-10-27 · All articles
If you make earrings, necklaces, bracelets or rings and ship to the EU, Etsy asks you for "Manufacturers" details and "Product safety info". This guide explains what the official texts behind those fields say. It is general orientation, not legal advice.
Not legal advice. We do not act as an EU Responsible Person and do not test or certify jewelry.
The regulation behind the Etsy fields
The EU General Product Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/988 ("GPSR"), has applied since 13 December 2024. It covers consumer products, including jewelry, where no more specific EU law addresses the same risk.
Article 19 sets out what an online offer must show, at least:
- the manufacturer's name, registered trade name or trade mark, and a postal and electronic address;
- where the manufacturer is not established in the EU, the name, postal and electronic address of the EU responsible person;
- information to identify the product, including a picture, its type and any other identifier;
- any warnings or safety information, in a language consumers can easily understand, as decided by the Member State where it is sold.
Article 22 requires marketplaces such as Etsy to let traders provide this on each listing, which is why the fields exist.
On the jewelry itself: batch, maker, instructions
GPSR also has rules for the physical product. Under Article 9:
- Identification (Art. 9(5)): a type, batch or serial number that consumers can easily read. If the item is too small, it can go on the packaging or an accompanying document, such as a backing card or box label.
- Manufacturer details (Art. 9(6)): your name and postal and electronic address, on the product or, where that is not possible, its packaging or an accompanying document.
- Safety information (Art. 9(7)): in a language consumers can easily understand, unless the product can be used safely without it.
- Technical documentation (Art. 9(2)–(3)): an internal risk analysis and documentation kept for 10 years.
For a jewelry maker this can be a short product sheet: materials, suppliers, risks considered and the evidence you hold.
Non-EU sellers need an EU Responsible Person
Article 16(1) says a product may not be placed on the EU market unless an economic operator established in the EU is responsible for it. Its name and contact details go on the product, packaging, parcel or an accompanying document (Art. 16(3)). They also go on your listing (Art. 19(b)).
On Etsy you can add this information once for the whole shop, or per listing in the "Manufacturers" field. Etsy explains both options in its GPSR help article.
Metals: nickel, cadmium and lead under REACH
Jewelry also has chemical limits in Annex XVII of REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006). ECHA keeps a searchable list of these restrictions. Three entries name jewelry:
| Entry | Substance | What the text says (summary) |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Nickel | Posts inserted into piercings: release below 0.2 μg/cm²/week. Items in direct and prolonged skin contact (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, chains, anklets, rings): release not above 0.5 μg/cm²/week; coatings must hold that for at least two years of normal use. |
| 23 | Cadmium | Not allowed at 0.01% or more by weight of the metal in metal parts of jewelry, imitation jewelry and hair accessories, or in metal beads and components for jewelry making. |
| 63 | Lead | Not allowed at 0.05% or more by weight in any individual part of jewelry, including components for jewelry making. Listed exceptions include crystal glass, untreated natural precious and semi-precious stones, and enamels. |
The nickel rule limits how fast nickel is released, shown by a lab test; it is not a ban on nickel. In practice, collect test reports or declarations from the suppliers of your ear wires, chains and findings, and avoid "nickel-free" or "hypoallergenic" claims you cannot document.
See also the amending acts for lead (836/2012) and cadmium (494/2011).
Warnings that usually make sense for jewelry
GPSR has no fixed list of jewelry warnings; they follow from your risk analysis. Common ones:
- Small parts: loose beads, charms and studs can be a choking hazard. Keep them away from young children.
- Strangulation: necklaces and long cords should not be worn by children unsupervised or while sleeping.
- Metal allergy: check the materials before wearing, and stop if irritation occurs.
- Magnets and sharp pins, if your designs use them.
- Care: remove before swimming or showering, and keep away from perfume and cleaners.
Jewelry designed for children may fall under the EU toy safety rules; check before selling kids' pieces.
Further official reading
Search the EU Safety Gate portal for "jewellery" to see which risks authorities act on, and read the Commission's GPSR business guidelines.
A simple checklist
- Manufacturer name, postal address and email on Etsy.
- EU Responsible Person, if you are outside the EU.
- A safety block in "Product safety info".
- SKU and batch code on the tag or card, visible in a photo.
- A product sheet with supplier evidence for nickel, cadmium and lead.
- Safety text in the languages of the countries you sell to.
For fill-in text covering these steps, see the JewelryGPSR template pack: listing blocks, warning phrases in five languages, label layouts and a product sheet. It is information assembly only, not legal advice and not a Responsible Person service.