Pearls, Precious Stones, Precious Metals & Jewelry

Natural and cultured pearls fall under 7101, worked natural precious and semi-precious stones under 7103, while synthetic or reconstructed stones — including lab-grown diamonds — are classified under 7104. The distinction between natural and synthetic is critical because duty rates and trade-remedy exposure can differ, and misclassification is a common audit finding.

Imitation jewelry (7117) covers costume and fashion jewelry not made of precious metal and not incorporating natural or synthetic gemstones as a primary component. Fine jewelry of precious metal or clad metal goes under 7113, and articles of natural or cultured pearls or gemstones under 7116. The key classification test is the composition of the base material and whether any precious metal content is structural or merely decorative plating.