N.J. Stat. tit. 51, ch. 6

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-1 Definitions

As used in this chapter: a. The term "article" means any article of merchandise and includes any portion of such article, whether a distinct part thereof or not, including every part thereof whether separable or not, and also including material for manufacture. b. The terms "platinum" , "iridium" , "palladium" , "ruthenium" , "rhodium" , or "osmium" , or any or all of them, include any alloy or alloys of any one or more of said metals. c. The term "mark" means any mark, sign, device, imprint, stamp or brand applied to any article, or to any tag, card, paper, label, box, carton, container, holder, package, cover, or wrapping attached to, used in conjunction with, or inclosing such article, or any bill, bill of sale, invoice, statement, letter, circular, advertisement, notice, memorandum, or other writing or printing. d. The terms "apply" and "applied" include any method or means of application or attachment to, or of use on, or in connection with, or in relation to, an article, whether such application, attachment, or use is to, on, by, in or with: 1. The article itself; or 2. Anything attached to the article; or 3. Anything to which the article is attached; or 4. Anything in or on which the article is; or 5. Anything so used or placed as to lead to a reasonable belief that the mark on that thing is meant to be taken as a mark on the article itself. e. The term "quality mark" means any mark as herein defined indicating, describing, identifying or referring to or appearing or seeming or purporting to indicate, describe, identify or refer to the partial or total presence or existence of, or the quality of, or the percentage of, or the purity of the number of parts of platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, or osmium, or any or all of them, in any article.

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-2 Quality mark not to apply to mechanism and other enumerated things

When an article is composed of mechanism, works or movements and of a case or cover containing the mechanism, works or movements, a quality mark applied to the article shall be deemed not to be, nor to be intended to be, applied to the mechanism, works or movements. The quality mark applied to the article shall be deemed not to apply to springs, winding bars, sleeves, crown cores, mechanical joints, pins, screws, rivets, dust bands, detachable movement rims, hatpin stems, bracelet and necklace snap tongues. In addition, in the event that an article is marked under paragraph "e" of section 51:6-5 of this title, the quality mark applied to the article shall be deemed not to apply to pin tongues, joints, catches, lapel button backs and the posts to which they are attached, scarfpin stems, hatpin sockets, shirt stud backs, vest button backs and ear screw backs; provided, that such parts are made of the same quality of gold as is used in the balance of the article.

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-3 § 51:6-3

If there is any quality mark printed, stamped or branded on the article itself, there must also be printed, stamped or branded on the article itself the following mark, to wit: A trade-mark duly applied for or registered under the laws of the United States of the manufacturer of such article; except that if the manufacturer has sold or contracted to sell such article to a jobber, wholesaler or retail dealer regularly engaged in the business of buying and selling similar articles, this provision shall be deemed to be complied with if there is so marked on the article the trade-mark duly registered under the laws of the United States of such jobber, wholesaler or retail dealer respectively; and in such event there may also be marked on such article itself, numerals intended to identify the article, design or pattern; provided, that such numerals do not appear or purport to be a part of the quality mark, and are not calculated to mislead or deceive anyone in believing that they are part of the quality mark.

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-4 Quality marks described; marks refer to weight

All quality marks applied to any article shall be equal in size and equally visible, legible, clear and distinct, and no quality mark which is false, deceptive or misleading shall be applied to any article or to any descriptive device therefor. No more than one quality mark shall be applied to any article and such quality mark shall be applied to such article in only one place thereon except as elsewhere specifically permitted in this chapter. Wherever in this chapter provision is made for marking the number of parts or percentage of metals, such number or percentage shall refer to weight and not to volume, thickness or any other basis.

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-5 Marking contents and quality of pure platinum and platinum combined with other metals

There shall not be applied to any article any quality mark or any colorable imitation thereof, nor any contraction thereof, nor any addition thereto, nor any words or letters, nor any mark purporting to be or resembling a quality mark, except as follows: a. An article consisting of at least nine hundred and eighty-five one-thousandths parts of platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, or osmium, or any or all of them, where solder is not used, and at least nine hundred and fifty one-thousandths parts of said same metal or metals where solder is used, may be marked "platinum" ; provided, that the total of the aforementioned metals other than pure platinum shall amount to no more than fifty one-thousandths parts of the contents of the entire article; b. An article consisting of at least nine hundred and eighty-five one-thousandths parts platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, or osmium, or any or all of them, where solder is not used, and at least nine hundred and fifty one-thousandths parts of the said same metal or metals where solder is used, provided at least seven hundred and fifty one-thousandths parts of such article are pure platinum, may be marked "platinum" ; provided, that immediately preceding the mark "platinum" there is marked the name or abbreviation as hereinafter provided, of either iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, or osmium, or any or all of them, whichever of said metals predominates; but such predominating other metal must be more than fifty one-thousandths parts of the entire article; c. An article consisting of at least nine hundred and eighty-five one-thousandths parts of platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, or osmium, or any or all of them, where solder is not used and at least nine hundred and fifty one-thousandths parts of said same metals where solder is used, provided more than five hundred one-thousandths parts of said article consist of pure platinum, may be marked with the word "platinum" ; provided, that said word is immediately preceded by a decimal fraction in one-thousandths showing the platinum content in proportion to the content of the entire article; and provided, further, that the mark "platinum" be followed by the name or abbreviation as herein allowed, of such one or more of the following metals, to wit: iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, or osmium, or any or all of them, that may be present in the article in quantity of more than fifty one-thousandths parts of the entire article. The name of such other metal or metals other than platinum, however, shall each be immediately preceded by a decimal fraction in one-thousandths showing the content of such other metal or metals in proportion to the entire article, as, for example, 600 Plat., 350 Pall., or 500 Plat., 200 Pall., 150 Ruth., 100 Rhod.; d. An article consisting of nine hundred and fifty one-thousandths parts of the following metals: platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, or osmium, or any or all of them, with less than five hundred one-thousandths parts of the entire article consisting of pure platinum, may be marked with the name iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, or osmium, or any or all of them, whichever predominates in the said article, but in no event with the mark "platinum" ; provided, however, that the quantity of such metal other than platinum so marked must be marked in decimal thousandths, and that the name of such metal other than platinum so used must be spelled out in full, irrespective of any other provision of this chapter to the contrary; e. An article composed of platinum and gold which resembles, appears, or purports to be platinum may be marked with a karat mark and the platinum mark; provided, 1. The platinum in such article shall be at least nine hundred and eighty-five one-thousandths parts pure platinum; and 2. The fineness of the gold in such article shall be correctly described by the karat mark of such gold; and 3. The percentage of platinum in such article shall be no less than five per cent in weight of the total weight of the article; and 4. The mark shall be so applied that the karat mark shall immediately precede the platinum mark, as for example, "14 K & Plat." , "18 K & Plat." , as the case may be, it being expressly provided that in case the percentage of platinum exceeds the five per cent provided herein the quality mark may also include a declaration of the percentage of platinum, as for example, "18 K & 1/10 th Plat." , or "14 K & 1/8 th Plat." , or as the case may be; f. An article composed of platinum and any other material or metal not resembling, appearing or purporting to be platinum, may be marked with the quality mark platinum; provided, that all parts or portions of such article resembling, or appearing, or purporting to be platinum, or reasonably purporting to be described as platinum by said quality mark, shall be at least nine hundred and eighty-five one-thousandths parts pure platinum.

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-6 Abbreviations permissible

Whenever provided for in this chapter except as specifically excepted in paragraph "d" of section 51:6-5 of this title, the word "platinum" may be applied by spelling it out in full or by abbreviation "Plat." ; the word "iridium" may be applied by spelling it out in full or by abbreviation "Irid." ; the word "palladium" may be applied by spelling it out in full or by the abbreviation "Pall." ; the word "ruthenium" may be applied by spelling it out in full or by the abbreviation "Ruth." ; the word "rhodium" may be applied by spelling it out in full or by the abbreviation "Rhod." ; and the word "osmium" may be applied by spelling it out in full or by the abbreviation "Osmi."

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-7 Penalty

Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or association, or any officer, manager, director, employee or agent thereof, who shall sell or offer or expose for sale in this State, any article to which is applied any quality mark which does not conform to all the provisions of this chapter, or from which is omitted any mark required by the provisions of this chapter, shall be liable to a mandatory penalty of not less than $100.00 nor more than $500.00 recoverable by the Superintendent of Weights and Measures in a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil penalty action pursuant to "the penalty enforcement law" (N.J.S. 2A:58-1 et seq.). Amended by L.1980, c. 53, s. 4, eff. June 27, 1980.

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-8 § 51:6-8

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any article manufactured prior to July fourth, nineteen hundred and twenty-nine.

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-9 § 51:6-9

In any action relating to the enforcement of this chapter, proof that an article has been marked in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed to be prima facie proof that it was manufactured after July fourth, nineteen hundred and twenty-nine.

N.J. Stat. § 51:6-10 § 51:6-10

In any action relating to the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter, a certificate duly issued by an assay office of the treasury department of the United States, certifying the weight of any article, or any part thereof, or of the kind, weight, quality, fineness or quantity of any ingredient thereof, shall be receivable in evidence as constituting prima facie proof of the matter or matters so certified.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026