# 16 CFR § 23.2: Misuse of the terms “handmade,” “hand-polished,” etc

> Federal · Regulations · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.2

## Section

- **Citation:** 16 CFR § 23.2
- **Heading:** Misuse of the terms “handmade,” “hand-polished,” etc
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Regulations
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** September 22, 2026
- **Source:** Publisher's official text
- **Location:** Title 16—Commercial Practices > CHAPTER I—FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION > SUBCHAPTER B—GUIDES AND TRADE PRACTICE RULES > PART 23—GUIDES FOR THE JEWELRY, PRECIOUS METALS, AND PEWTER INDUSTRIES

## Text

(a) It is unfair or deceptive to represent, directly or by implication, that any industry product is handmade or hand-wrought unless the entire shaping and forming of such product from raw materials and its finishing and decoration were accomplished by hand labor and manually-controlled methods which permit the maker to control and vary the construction, shape, design, and finish of each part of each individual product.
Note to Paragraph (a):
As used herein, “raw materials” include bulk sheet, strip, wire, precious metal clays, ingots, casting grain, and similar items that have not been cut, shaped, or formed into jewelry parts, semi-finished parts, or blanks.
(b) It is unfair or deceptive to represent, directly or by implication, that any industry product is hand-forged, hand-engraved, hand-finished, or hand-polished, or has been otherwise hand-processed, unless the operation described was accomplished by hand labor and manually-controlled methods which permit the maker to control and vary the type, amount, and effect of such operation on each part of each individual product.

## Nearby sections

- [16 CFR § 20.0 § 20.0 Scope and purpose of the guides.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-20.0.md)
- [16 CFR § 20.1 § 20.1 Deception generally.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-20.1.md)
- [16 CFR § 20.2 § 20.2 Deception as to the identity of a rebuilder, remanufacturer, reconditioner, reliner, or other reworker.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-20.2.md)
- [16 CFR § 20.3 § 20.3 Misrepresentation of the terms “rebuilt,” “factory rebuilt,” “remanufactured,” etc.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-20.3.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.0 § 23.0 Scope and application.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.0.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.1 § 23.1 Deception (general).](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.1.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.2 § 23.2 Misuse of the terms “handmade,” “hand-polished,” etc.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.2.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.3 § 23.3 Misrepresentation as to gold content.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.3.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.4 § 23.4 Misuse of the word “vermeil.”](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.4.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.5 § 23.5 Misrepresentation as to silver content.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.5.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.6 § 23.6 Misuse of the words “platinum,” “iridium,” “palladium,” “ruthenium,” “rhodium,” and “osmium.”](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.6.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.7 § 23.7 Disclosure of surface-layer application of rhodium.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.7.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.8 § 23.8 Misrepresentation as to products containing more than one precious metal.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.8.md)
- [16 CFR § 23.9 § 23.9 Misrepresentation as to content of pewter.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.9.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-16-23.2. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.