Which jewelry lab tests actually mean something?
Three worth knowing: EN 1811 measures how much nickel a piece releases onto skin, EN 12472 ages a piece first so the nickel test is run on a worn surface rather than a new one, and XRF measures coating thickness. A report without its standard named is a logo, not a result.
By SIAFRA
A laboratory report is only as useful as the limit it was measured against, so the question to ask about any test result is which standard it was run to. Three standards cover almost everything that matters in plated jewelry: nickel release, nickel release after wear, and coating thickness.
EN 1811: how much nickel reaches skin
This is the European reference method for nickel release. It matters because nickel is a common trigger for allergic contact dermatitis, which the NHS lists among the causes. The test measures what comes off the surface over time rather than how much nickel the alloy contains, which is the number that affects a wearer.
EN 12472: the same test, on a worn piece
A new coating can pass a nickel test that the same piece would fail after a year. EN 12472 is a wear and corrosion simulation run before the nickel test, so the result describes an aged surface. A brand quoting nickel results without it is describing the piece on the day it was made.
XRF: how thick the coating is
X-ray fluorescence measures coating depth without destroying the piece. It is the answer to how much gold is actually there, and supplier figures for this class of coating vary by orders of magnitude, so a stated thickness without a method is worth very little.
What is not a test
- Hypoallergenic. Not a regulated term and not a measurement. No material suits everyone.
- Surgical steel. Not a regulated grade. Ask which alloy.
- Tarnish-free. True of steel as a property of the metal, and not evidence about the coating over it.
- A certificate with no standard printed on it. A logo is not a limit.
What SIAFRA has, and what it does not
An SGS laboratory report from April 2026 records nickel release below detection, and cadmium and lead not detected, measured against European REACH limits. That is the nickel question answered.
Coating thickness by XRF and accelerated wear under EN 12472 followed by EN 1811 are listed as validation underway and have no published results. We would rather name the gap than let a passed nickel test stand in for a durability claim it does not make. Both are tracked on the specifications page.
More from the journal