Vintage Franciscan Madeira Pattern Plate:
tested positive for 67,300 parts per million lead when tested with an XRF instrument.
To learn more about XRF testing, Click Here.
For context, modern items intended for use by children are required by current legislation to be under 90 ppm lead in the paint/glaze or coating. Dishes (especially vintage dishes!) are not considered an item that is intended for use by children and as such are not regulated for total lead content (via the XRF testing methodology.)
Click here to see some lead-free dishware options!
As always, thank you for reading and for sharing my posts!
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
So what should I do with my Madeira dinnerware with 63,700 ppm.
I just found this site and holy crap, time to buy new dishes
Hi Donnell! Yup! That’s the reaction most people have to my work. Thank you for commenting. Here are a couple of places to start that inquiry:
Post #1) https://tamararubin.com/2019/12/asktamara-which-dishes-are-lead-free/
Post #2) https://tamararubin.com/2019/12/ask-tamara-what-dishes-do-you-use-in-your-home-which-dishes-are-lead-free/
Tamara
Shoot! I bought a full set for $40 in 2015 and hoped to sell them at a profit. I can’t do that in good conscience now.
Any suggestions on what to do with them?
Hi David, thank you for commenting. Here’s my post about that… It’s not the best answer for the Franciscan products (I think the company is no longer in business? or under new ownership…) but this is my guidelines in general:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/12/what-should-i-do-with-my-lead-contaminated-dishes-to-toss-or-not-to-toss/
Tamara
Just found this site. I have an 8place setting of Franciscan Madeira that was purchased for my wedding in 1970. Did not know about the lead content and wondering what to do with them. Also have 4 olive green goblets.
Hi Laurie – read this for starters:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/12/what-should-i-do-with-my-lead-contaminated-dishes-to-toss-or-not-to-toss/
And you may find this helpful too:
https://tamararubin.com/topics/does-vintage-and-new-functional-pottery-and-dishware-have-unsafe-levels-of-lead/
My children have brain damage from lead exposure – which is why I do what I do. You can learn more about my story and the issue in general by watching my film: https://tamararubin.com/2022/10/for-lead-poisoning-prevention-month-october-a-link-to-my-film/
Tamara
I have Madeira Franciscan stoneware from 1974. It hasn’t been used much and the glaze is intact so it doesn’t test positive for lead. From everything I’ve read tho I assume has a high level. How do I know for sure before I toss it?
The home test kits do not work on all ceramics unfortunately. With the Franciscan patterns it is actually the clear glaze on the surface that is the lead-contaminated part of the glaze (not the color underneath). This is why this brand is so incredibly dangerous.