#Leaded: 1990s Glass Seed Bead Wolf Necklace

1990s Glass Seed Bead Wolf Necklace.

Seed beads like this commonly test positive for lead and cadmium and sometimes even mercury and arsenic. I personally avoid pieces like this in my home, but I must admit they are very beautiful!

While it is very difficult to separate out the different beads on a piece like this for testing with an XRF without taking this incredible little necklace apart, I did my best to have the scope primarily read one type of bead at a time.

Smaller round golden seed beads:

• Lead (Pb): ND
• Cadmium (Cd): 509 +/- 24 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): ND
• Barium (Ba): 492 +/- 57 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): 927 +/- 384 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 184 +/- 23 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 7,654 +/- 267 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 2,774 +/- 320 ppm
• Magnesium (Mn): 26,900 +/- 1,100 ppm

Long gray glass beads

• Lead (Pb): 257 +/- 34 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 673 +/- 41 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): ND
• Arsenic: 842 +/- 47 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 6,276 +/- 388 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): 999 +/- 192 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 3,197 +/- 122 ppm
• Selenium (Se): 47 +/- 18 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 3,121 +/- 121 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 187 +/- 52 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 6,895 +/- 301 ppm

Part of necklace with red, white and black seed beads:

• Lead (Pb): ND
• Cadmium (Cd): 125 +/- 14 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): ND
• Barium (Ba): 16,000 +/- 800 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 736 +/- 45 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 25,500 +/- 900 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 712 +/- 227 ppm
• Vanadium (V): 4,436 +/- 256
• Titanium (Ti): 9,137 +/- 495 ppm
• Magnesium (Mn): 4,459 +/- 582 ppm

Thank you for reading!

For more costume jewelry I have tested, click here.

I might have concerns if a necklace like this broke apart and the beads went everywhere in a home where a child could swallow them, but I generally don’t have concerns for a piece like this given the toxicants are likely bound in the glass as colorants.

I have more concern for lead exposure with leaded crystal jewelry (usually 300,000 ppm lead, usually tests positive with a swab), or lead painted ceramic or wood jewelry (where the coating might come off and be ingested).

I told the owner that if I owned a piece like this (and if it had sentimental value) I would likely have it framed in a shadow box and displayed on my wall as art (with the story of where it came from on the back!)

As always, please let me know if you have any questions!

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama