More than one-fifth of the jewelry sold in Guangzhou failed to meet national standards, a government inspection has found.

Giving short weight and selling substandard goods as quality ones are the two major problems, according to Guangzhou City Administration of Industry and Commerce.

Sixty-two of 278 jewelry products from 171 companies failed to meet the national standards, the administration said on Thursday.

Some of the products have been found to contain harmful substances.

The tests were conducted by the Guangdong provincial examination center for gold, jewelry, jade, diamond products and other expensive metals.

The samples are collected from department stores, supermarkets, specialized bazaars and exclusive shops.

Contact the writer at zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn