China rolls out new standards for gold jewelry   

(ECNS) -- China is steering producers of gold jewelry towards attaching more importance to the design and artistic value of their work instead of the pureness of gold used, Beijing Times reported on Wednesday.

From May 4, 2016 jewelry containing 990.0% -999.0% of fine gold can only be named "solid gold" according to revised standards regarding metal jewelry released by the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) before Spring Festival on February 19 this year.

"The revision does not necessarily mean that the State requires gold producers to reduce the purity of their gold jewelry. They can still produce work with 999.0% in fine gold," said a SAC spokesperson.

The aim is to place focus on design and artistic value, making jewelry more suited to consumers, it was added.