Limitations: 1. Shall not be used: (a) in any post assemblies which are inserted into pierced ears and other pierced parts of the human body unless the rate of nickel release from such post assemblies is less than 0,2 μg/cm 2 /week (migration limit); (b) in articles intended to come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin such as: — earrings, — necklaces, bracelets and chains, anklets, finger rings, — wrist-watch cases, watch straps and tighteners, — rivet buttons, tighteners, rivets, zippers and metal marks, when these are used in garments, if the rate of nickel release from the parts of these articles coming into direct and prolonged contact with the skin is greater than 0,5 μg/cm 2 /week. (c) in articles referred to in point (b) where these have a non-nickel coating unless such coating is sufficient to ensure that the rate of nickel release from those parts of such articles coming into direct and prolonged contact with the skin will not exceed 0,5 μg/cm 2 /week for a period of at least two years of normal use of the article. 2. Articles which are the subject of paragraph 1 shall not be placed on the market unless they conform to the requirements set out in that paragraph. 3. The standards adopted by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) shall be used as the test methods for demonstrating the conformity of articles to paragraphs 1 and 2.

Source: Regulation 1907/2006 (REACH). Annex XVII