[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 16, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 16CFR23.6]

[Page 146]
 
                     TITLE 16--COMMERCIAL PRACTICES
 
                   CHAPTER I--FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
 
PART 23_GUIDES FOR THE JEWELRY, PRECIOUS METALS, AND PEWTER INDUSTRIES
--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 23.6  Misrepresentation as to silver content.

    (a) It is unfair or deceptive to misrepresent that an industry 
product contains silver, or to misrepresent an industry product as 
having a silver content, plating, electroplating, or coating.
    (b) It is unfair or deceptive to mark, describe, or otherwise 
represent all or part of an industry product as ``silver,'' ``solid 
silver,'' ``Sterling Silver,'' ``Sterling,'' or the abbreviation 
``Ster.'' unless it is at least \925\/1,000ths pure silver.
    (c) It is unfair or deceptive to mark, describe, or otherwise 
represent all or part of an industry product as ``coin'' or ``coin 
silver'' unless it is at least \900\/1,000ths pure silver.
    (d) It is unfair or deceptive to mark, describe, or otherwise 
represent all or part of an industry product as being plated or coated 
with silver unless all significant surfaces of the product or part 
contain a plating or coating of silver that is of substantial thickness. 
\8\
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    \8\ See footnote 3.
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    (e) The provisions of this section relating to markings and 
descriptions of industry products and parts thereof are subject to the 
applicable tolerances of the National Stamping Act or any amendment 
thereof. \9\
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    \9\ Under the National Stamping Act, sterling silver articles or 
parts that contain no solder have a permissible tolerance of four parts 
per thousand. If the part tested contains solder, the permissible 
tolerance is ten parts per thousand. For full text, see 15 U.S.C. 294, 
et seq.

    Note 1 to Sec. 23.6: The National Stamping Act provides that 
silverplated articles shall not ``be stamped, branded, engraved or 
imprinted with the word `sterling' or the word `coin,' either alone or 
in conjunction with other words or marks.'' 15 U.S.C. 297(a).
    Note 2 to Sec. 23.6: Exemptions recognized in the assay of silver 
industry products are listed in the appendix.