As many of you know there is a new US law, primarily conceived to protect children, that has created a stringent set of guidelines relating to products used for children under age 12. The law is very complex, and untangling it and understanding it in layman’s terms is daunting. The new legislation—the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act or CPSIA—covers merchandise and products in many categories.  We have been working on understanding and complying with the parts of the new law that apply to us and how we make and handle our jewelry.

We want you to know that we are in compliance with the CPSIA. All of our Mothering Rocks and Children's Jewelry produced for the 2008/2009 season were tested by approved facilities by the CPSC. We have the General Conformity Certificates filed electronically, and will also include them in all shipments starting Feb 10, 2009 to retailers and to consumers should they want to see these documents. I want you to know that we take the safety and well-being of babies very seriously, and we are confident that all of our products—whether it is shipping now, or was shipped in previous seasons—is safe for children. As many of you know, I have a real love for the nursing mom, and since I've started this business have endeavored to produce a product that that was cute, beautiful, pro-breastfeeding and unique—but above all—was made with the highest standards of quality and safety.

There are aspects of the CPSIA that are still under discussion, mostly about merchandise that you or I might have in our inventories that was produced before the CPSIA and its requirements for certification documentation was enacted. Our products have not changed, nor have we changed our suppliers of beading wire, sterling silver, gemstones, cotton and hemp cord or anything else that makes up our products. We are actively following up on all new information from the CPSC, and will strive to follow all the rules and requirements of the law.

I sincerely hope that this information helps give you confidence in Little Gems products. We plan on continuing to make fun, pro-breastfeeding products that you feel good about selling. Please know that we are here, and will gladly discuss, and will attempt to answer, any questions you might have about this new legislation. Remember, we place as much importance on our customer service as we do on our quality! While we may be growing quickly and adding new products to our collections, we are still a mom-owned business, and we care about our relationships with you, our partners in business.