# HS Codes for Jewelry: A Shopify Seller's Guide — Origova > Jewelry classifies by material: precious metal (7113), imitation (7117), pearls and stones (7116). Why gold-plated counts as imitation — and bulk-fix steps. Canonical: https://origova.com/hs-code-for-jewelry-shopify --- # HS codes for jewelry: a Shopify seller's guide _By [Spencer Flaherty](https://origova.com/about), founder of Origova_ Jewelry classification has one organizing idea: **what the piece is actually made of**. Nearly everything a jewelry store ships lands in **Chapter 71** , and the split that decides your [HS code](https://origova.com/what-is-an-hs-code) is whether the piece is precious metal, imitation, or built from pearls and stones. The most common mistake in this category — and the one that matters most for a typical Shopify store — is about plating, so let's start there. ## The plating trap: "gold-plated" is imitation jewelry Under the HS, a coating of precious metal counts only as a _minor constituent_. A brass necklace electroplated with gold is classified by what it substantially is — base metal — which makes it **imitation jewelry, heading 7117** , not precious-metal jewelry. The same goes for gold-plated stainless steel, vermeil-style plating over base metal, and "dipped" pieces. There's one genuine exception: base metal **clad** with precious metal — a bonded, rolled layer rather than an electroplated film — which gets its own subheading, 7113.20, on the precious side of the line. The flip side surprises sellers too: **sterling silver is a precious metal**. A 925 silver ring classifies under 7113.11 alongside gold and platinum pieces, even if it retails for $30. ## The headings that cover a jewelry store What you sell| Code| Why ---|---|--- Solid gold or platinum jewelry| `7113.19`| Jewelry of precious metal other than silver Sterling silver (925) jewelry| `7113.11`| Silver is precious metal — plated with gold or not Base metal _clad_ (bonded) with precious metal| `7113.20`| Cladding is substantial; plating is not Gold- or silver-_plated_ fashion jewelry| `7117.19`| Plating = minor constituent → imitation, base metal Stainless steel, brass, alloy jewelry| `7117.19`| Imitation jewelry of base metal Cuff links & studs (base metal)| `7117.11`| Their own imitation-jewelry subheading Beaded, plastic, shell, or leather jewelry| `7117.90`| Imitation jewelry, not of base metal Pearl jewelry (natural or cultured)| `7116.10`| Articles of pearls Gemstone jewelry (stones as the substance)| `7116.20`| Articles of precious or semi-precious stones Loose gemstones| `7103`| Stones, not articles of jewelry One boundary note on 7116: it covers pieces where the pearls or stones _are_ the article — a strand of pearls, a beaded gemstone bracelet. A diamond set in a gold ring is precious-metal jewelry (7113.19); the setting governs. ## A worked example: the gold-plated brass necklace It's jewelry → Chapter 71. It's brass under the plating, and plating is a minor constituent → imitation jewelry, heading `7117`. It's base metal and it isn't a cuff link → `7117.19`. That's the full international code; enter `711719` in Shopify. If the same design were sterling silver, it would be `7113.11` — same product photo, different chapter logic, roughly one code per material line in your catalog. ## Adjacent products that are not Chapter 71 **Watches** live in Chapter 91 — wristwatches under `9101` with precious-metal cases, `9102` otherwise. **Hair accessories** — claw clips, hair slides, decorative pins — typically classify under `9615` with combs, not as jewelry. **Jewelry boxes and pouches** sold separately are Chapter 42 territory (`4202`). If your store mixes these in, expect a second and third chapter in your catalog — normal and correct, and the same pattern we cover in the [clothing guide](https://origova.com/hs-code-for-clothing-shopify) for apparel accessories. ## Check the code before you commit For US imports, the USITC's tariff search at [hts.usitc.gov](https://hts.usitc.gov) shows how each subheading extends to ten digits; for US exports there's the Census Bureau's Schedule B tool; the UK Trade Tariff and the EU's Access2Markets cover those markets. Jewelry edge cases with real rulings behind them: mixed-material pieces, plated findings on otherwise-precious pieces, and jewelry sold in sets. **Not customs advice** This guide covers the common cases, and classification is ultimately a legal determination that depends on your exact product. Mixed materials, high-value pieces, and anything where the precious/imitation line feels debatable are worth a customs broker's confirmation. ## Applying codes across a Shopify catalog Jewelry catalogs group cleanly: all the plated brass pieces share a code, all the sterling pieces share another, the beaded line a third. Size variants of a ring are one classification, and metal-color variants usually are too — _unless_ the "gold" variant is actually solid gold while the "silver" is plated, in which case variants of one product genuinely carry different codes. That's exactly the level Shopify stores the field at — [each variant's inventory item](https://origova.com/shopify-customs-information) — and exactly the level at which [Shopify gives you no list of what's still missing](https://origova.com/bulk-edit-hs-codes-shopify). [Origova](https://origova.com/) scans the catalog, lists every variant missing a code or carrying a malformed one, and lets you select a material group and apply its code in one reversible batch. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the HS code for sterling silver jewelry? 7113.11 — articles of jewelry of silver, whether or not plated or clad with other precious metal. Sterling (925) silver is a precious metal under the HS, so it classifies with gold and platinum in heading 7113, not with fashion jewelry. ### What is the HS code for gold-plated jewelry? Usually 7117.19 — imitation jewelry of base metal. Under the HS, plating counts only as a minor constituent, so a gold-plated brass necklace is classified by its base metal, not its coating. Solid gold is 7113.19; base metal clad (bonded, not plated) with precious metal is 7113.20. ### What HS code does stainless steel or brass fashion jewelry use? 7117.19 — imitation jewelry of base metal. Cuff links and studs have their own subheading, 7117.11, and imitation jewelry that isn't metal at all (beads, plastic, shell, leather) falls under 7117.90. ### Where do pearl and gemstone jewelry classify? Articles of natural or cultured pearls classify under 7116.10, and articles of precious or semi-precious stones under 7116.20. A gemstone set in precious metal, though, is classified as precious-metal jewelry under 7113 — 7116 is for pieces where the pearls or stones are the substance of the article. ### Do watches use jewelry HS codes? No. Watches have their own chapter — 91 — with wristwatches under headings 9101 (precious-metal case) and 9102 (everything else). Decorative hair accessories also classify outside Chapter 71, typically under 9615. Primary sources: the official [Harmonized Tariff Schedule (hts.usitc.gov)](https://hts.usitc.gov), and the statute ending de minimis, [19 U.S.C. § 1321 (Cornell Law, LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/19/1321). Related: [What is an HS code? The Harmonized System, explained](https://origova.com/what-is-an-hs-code) · [How to add HS codes to Shopify products in bulk](https://origova.com/bulk-edit-hs-codes-shopify) · [HS codes for cosmetics and skincare](https://origova.com/hs-code-for-cosmetics-skincare-shopify)