Buying jewellery and watches in Bangladesh
Bangladesh makes gold jewellery in 22, 21 and 18 karat, sterling silver, imitation and beaded pieces, and clocks and watch parts, for importers, fashion retailers and online brands abroad, and for jewellers, corporate gift and wedding buyers in Dhaka. Jewellery is sold on what you cannot see: karat or fineness, weight, plating thickness, and nickel, lead and cadmium content. A jewellery manufacturer in Bangladesh has to prove each with a test, not a stamp alone.
Send drawings, a sample or your spec sheet; we match it to verified makers, put quotes on one basis of metal weight, making charge, plating and tests, have an accredited lab test purity and restricted substances on your lot, approve the pre-production sample and inspect the bulk before shipment. You deal with Roptan only.
How to brief a jewellery manufacturer in Bangladesh
- Metal, purity and weight
- Karat or fineness, for example 22K (916), 18K (750) or sterling 925, with tolerance and test method. Gross and net metal weight in grams per piece, stones excluded.
- Plating
- Plating metal, colour and thickness in microns, over a nickel-free barrier layer where your market needs one. Thin flash plating wears quickly on rings and bracelets.
- Restricted substances
- Name the market: for the EU, nickel release, lead and cadmium limits under REACH; for US children's pieces, CPSIA lead limits and ASTM F2923.
- Stones and findings
- Natural, lab-grown or imitation stones, size in mm and setting; clasps, ear posts, hooks and jump rings with metal and wire gauge, since findings are where pieces break.
- Finish, tarnish and marking
- Polished, matt, oxidised or enamel, an anti-tarnish coat, packing with anti-tarnish paper and silica gel, and the karat or fineness stamp, maker's mark and origin mark where required.
- Metal price basis
- For gold and silver, whether the metal rate is fixed on the order date or at dispatch, with the making charge shown separately.
Tests and rules for jewellery and watches
- ISO 11426
- Fire assay (cupellation) for gold in gold jewellery alloys, the reference method; XRF only screens pieces, since it reads the surface layer.
- REACH nickel, lead and cadmium
- Nickel release limited to 0.5 µg/cm² per week in prolonged skin contact (0.2 for piercing posts), tested to EN 1811 after EN 12472 wear simulation; lead below 0.05 per cent and cadmium in metal parts below 0.01 per cent by weight.
- CPSIA, ASTM F2923 and ASTM F2999
- US rules: children's jewellery must meet the CPSIA lead limit of 100 ppm in the substrate, with tests at a CPSC-accepted lab and a Children's Product Certificate; F2923 covers children's and F2999 adult jewellery.
- UK Hallmarking Act 1973 and US FTC guides
- Gold from 1 g and silver from 7.78 g sold as such in the UK must carry an approved hallmark; the FTC Jewelry Guides (16 CFR Part 23) set how karat, plating and stones are described in the US.
- RoHS and WEEE
- Directive 2011/65/EU restricts hazardous substances in electrical equipment, including battery clocks; the WEEE Directive sets the crossed-out bin mark and take-back duties in the EU.
Lead times and delivery
Typical ranges: samples usually take one to three weeks for existing designs, longer when a new model or mould is needed, and bulk 30 to 60 days from sample approval, depending on design, metal, plating and stone setting. Lab tests, imported stones, hallmarking and the wedding and festival seasons add time. Roptan confirms the dates in the quote.
Inside Bangladesh we deliver to retailers, jewellers, corporate buyers and event organisers in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and elsewhere, sealed per piece or set, with insured transport for gold and silver, which are handed over against a signed count and weight, the assay or test report and a VAT invoice (Mushak 6.3).
Buying jewellery and watches for export
Jewellery is light and valuable, so most lots go by air or insured courier, quoted FCA Dhaka airport; clocks and bulk fashion jewellery can ship FOB Chattogram (Chittagong). Documents: commercial invoice stating metal, purity and stones, packing list, air waybill or bill of lading, certificate of origin, a REX statement on origin for EU GSP or UK DCTS paperwork, and assay and chemical test reports. We inspect to AQL under ISO 2859-1, weighing and checking pieces before sealing. Payment is usually a deposit with the balance before dispatch, or a letter of credit.
Questions buyers ask
How is gold purity checked before shipping?
XRF gives a fast, non-destructive near-surface reading, for screening every piece. Fire assay to ISO 11426 melts a sample and is the reference method, so it is done on a random piece per lot. Plated or hollow pieces can mislead XRF, which is why both are used.
Which tests does imitation jewellery need for Europe?
Nickel release to EN 1811, after EN 12472 wear simulation for plated pieces, and lead and cadmium below the REACH limits. Ask for dated reports on your exact pieces and plating colours, not a claim of nickel-free plating.
How thick should gold plating be?
State it in microns for the use. Flash plating well under one micron wears quickly on rings and bracelets. In the US, vermeil means sterling silver plated with at least 2.5 microns of gold of 10 karat or more; gold-filled has a thick bonded layer instead.
How is gold and silver jewellery priced?
As metal weight at the day's gold or silver rate, plus a making charge per gram or per piece. Rates change often, so gold quotes stay valid for a short time. Compare weight and karat, not only the total.
Can you source children's jewellery?
Yes, with tighter tests. In the US, children's pieces need third-party tests to CPSIA and ASTM F2923 and a Children's Product Certificate. We check small parts, cords and clasps for the age grade. In the EU, the same REACH lead and cadmium limits apply.
How soon will I hear back about jewellery and watches?
Within 48 hours of a complete requirement, with a price and a delivery date. A requirement is complete when it has the quantity, where it is needed and by when.
Who do I deal with?
With Roptan, when Roptan manages the order: we buy from the verified seller and deliver to you. With the supplier directly, when you post on the requirement board and choose a quote yourself.
