Published: January 7, 2020
Published: January 7, 2020Introduction (for those new to this website):
Tamara Rubin is an independent advocate for consumer goods safety. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children. She began testing consumer goods for toxicants in 2009 and was the parent-advocate responsible for finding Lead in the popular fidget spinner toys in 2017. Tamara uses XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants, including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Arsenic.
When tested with an XRF instrument, the Paparazzi brand pair of silver-colored dangly earrings (with faux stones) pictured here had the following readings:
Metal dangling components:
- Barium (Ba): 1,341 +/- 292 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): 2,985 +/- 180 ppm
- Bromine (Br): 3,224 +/- 191 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 308,800 +/- 13,000 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 207 +/- 66 ppm
- Bismuth (Bi): 191 +/- 103 ppm
Main metal backing of earring:
- Zinc (Zn): 420,800 +/- 2,800 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 569,700 +/- 3,000 ppm
- Sliver (Ag): 8,025 +/- 346 ppm
Continue reading below the image.
Stone:
[I expect this is some kind of manufactured stone (resin?)]
Stone:- Arsenic (As): 54 +/- 3 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): 44 +/- 25 ppm
- Selenium (Se): 513 +/- 15 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 12,500 +/- 200 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 13,500 +/- 200 ppm
- Bismuth (Bi): 40 +/- 6 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 547 +/- 131 ppm
Takeaway…
As with the other Paparazzi piece that I posted earlier (link here) these earrings are also Lead-Free and Nickel-Free. But while the Paparazzi ring I posted has super high levels of Cadmium (a known carcinogen) these have other toxic heavy metals, specifically trace levels of Arsenic and a relatively high level of Antimony – a heavy metal known to cause cancer in rats (but one that has not had enough human impact studies done to be officially labeled as human carcinogen – likely the result of lobbying by the International Antimony Association!)
So this supports my concern for this brand, and my recommendation (from my earlier post) that you may want to set your Paparazzi jewelry aside (in a plastic baggie) until further testing has been done to determine which pieces may be toxic and which pieces may be safe.
Some additional reading that may be of interest:
- To see more costume jewelry I have tested, click here.
- To see my recommendations for choosing safer jewelry, click here.
- To see more rings I have tested, click here.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you for reading and for sharing my work!
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
A screenshot from the Paparazzi website (12/25/2019):
Toss it all out guys! It’s not worth keeping it. I had a feeling something was up with this $5 jewelry. Shocked it’s lead free.
There’s toxins in everything… I’m sure the jewelry you where pesticides on our food… Chemicals going through the air lotions you put on your body and so on and so forth… It’s sad but you really can’t get away from it… That’s the way the world goes … Sorry about your children with the lead poisoning
Did you contact owners of paparazzi?
Hi Emily-
The way my advocacy works generally is that I post the results and my readers share the results with the companies (and then the companies often threaten legal action against me, and I publish their threats on my blog and on social media and then they back down because my results are fully factual and science based and accurate 😉 )
I have shared the results with some additional consumer watch dog nonprofits and am waiting to hear back from them as well.
If you have contact information for Paparazzi Accessories that you would like to share, please feel free to post it and I am certain my readers will follow up and contact them. Since I am not a consumer of these products my voice does not matter so much – but when they hear from their customers it makes a huge difference.
Tamara
Have you tested any of the snaps that are on the leather bracelets that Paparazzi makes and the actual leather or plastic? Threw my necklaces, earrings and rings away! Glad I have only worn them a few times and not daily.
I’m throwing it all away. My child has worn the rings to play and they even have a line of jewelry specifically for children.
They are not selling kids jewelry anymore as of March 2023
P.S. Do you think if the head folks at the Paparazzi Jewelry Company are notified first to clean up their acts (stop selling toxic jewelry and come up with a real and better alternative), they’ll follow suit and do it, or just carry on like nothing is wrong? I’m asking in reference to all those woman (and some men) who really thought they were doing a good thing, and we’re selling the jewelry to make some extra money for bills, but were just being duped by the higher-ups.
Try 855 697 2727 address 36 North 1000 West. Hurricane UT 84737 or 4771 Astragalus Dr. St. George UT 84790.
What side affects should i be looking for
Hello everyone, so glad I found your website. Wanted to ask does anyone know why this ‘important’ info about Paparazzi Jewelry and it’s toxicity, has NOT yet made it’s way towards the TV News stations (CBS, NBC, ABC, PIX 11, etc.)? What exactly are folks waiting for with the info that’s on hand?
I’ve bought several pieces of this jewelry as well (2 necklaces and a god awful itching for several days, I thank God it wasn’t worse), and even though I’ve been seeing some consultants with ‘red skin areas’ (perhaps not realizing that the jewelry was the culprit?), where they were wearing the necklaces and very sadly am now scared to wear the other pieces that I bought. Heartbreaking and shameful from those perpetrating this in the first place.
So, how do we get this important and urgent situation and information to the news media, before this gets any worse?
Thank you for sharing this information. In light of recent activities in our great country (USA), do we have any information in relation to WHERE this jewelry is actually made and/or who OWNS the facility where this jewelry is made? Is it true that children are being used to manufacture this jewelry in “sweat shops”, so to speak?
I am suffering from breathing problems amongst other debilitating health issues since I started selling Paparazzi in June this year. I’m trying to get testing on cadmium toxicity.
Have you heard of any other cases like mine?
I’ve bought a lot of jewelry from
Papparazzi this year. I’m glad this information was given on the levels of trace metals. I won’t be wearing it anytime soon. I’m currently putting the jewelry in plastic. I will eventually be throwing it away since I already have health issues.
Wow my mother in law buys this jewelry I always thought it was cheap jewerly but now I’m wondering how toxic it is she buys it off church friends all of the time and has sent so many pieces for my daughter I’ve put it all up in a cabootle type box as she’s not big enough for it but I’m curious can I mail it all to you? Lol
Can you look up Iris Jewelry please
I am a Paparazzi jewelry seller. I come here to see what’s up. I very upset. I am now afraid to sell this beautiful fake jewels I buy. So upset. I want more information. I need to know. Or I cannot sell this.
I stopped selling it. I’ve now realized this is what was causing my health issues that my doctors kept asking me what I’m doing different and I was telling them nothing. Well yes I was. I was wearing the jewelry and by the end of the day my lymph nodes on my neck were swollen. So for almost a 6 months of wearing this I got sicker. I was buying it before but was giving it away as gifts because I didn’t wear jewelry but after becoming a consultant you have to wear it so now I know what changed. It was wearing the jewelry. I think it was a blessing it stopped selling it. Heavenly Father has things happen for a reason. Many blessings to all and I hope everyone stays safe.
What side effects are you having ?
I am no longer consultant but still have approximately 4,000 accessories…now I am afraid to give them away or reduce the price
We all have tons of jewelry, join the lawsuit!!! I did
What lawsuit?
Does paparazzi jewelry have cadmium in it?
Some does – yes. Check out this link: https://tamararubin.com/2020/01/paparazzi-5-ring-with-brown-stone-lead-free-nickel-free-as-advertised-but-265300-ppm-cadmium-a-known-carcinogen/
I’ve been doing research of paparazzi as I’ve been approached about joining. I like to do my research and make sure that I know what I’m getting myself into. What I’ve read is that a person can wear a necklace with cadmium every day for 10 years and they might become ill from cadmium exposure…
It wasn’t written by a consultant but by a tester. I’ll see if I can find the source. Your thoughts on length of time wearing it and amount of cadmium to cause illness. Thank you!
I think there are a lot of factors at play. The Cadmium limit for Children’s jewelry is 300 ppm – so that should inform decisions regarding toxicity (since jewelry for adults is not regulated for total Cadmium content and Cadmium causes cancer.)
T
Thank you for the time and effort you put into this!
I see that I have owned many of the items you’ve tested which have been passed along to my children and grandchildren. 🙁
I’ve stumbled across ATSDR..agency for toxic substances and disease registry. Are you familiar with them? Their take on cadmium exposure does not reflect what I’ve read in most articles. I’d love to know what you think about it. Again, thank you for all that you do.
Hi Lora – here’s my overview post on Cadmium toxicity:
https://tamararubin.com/2017/01/cadmium-concerns/
Tamara
I was a consultant for paparazzi and I left due to compliance issues which were bogus but I wasn’t concerned with that so I just wanted to get that out there. My problem has been since I started wearing the jewelry to post pictures and show product I have been getting swollen lymph nodes and it’s caused immune flare up. I got involved because I have Sjogrens, lupus and PV and needed something to do that didn’t stress me out. Now I found every time I put jewelry on for the day I swell up and my skin starts turning red everywhere. It’s this from the jewelry?
Hi Doris – I’m not a doctor so I can’t say for sure, but you might want to look into testing for Cadmium, Antimony and other toxicants (like a heavy metal urine or hair panel). Here’s some information about that:
https://tamararubin.com/2020/05/i-heard-that-urine-and-hair-tests-for-heavy-metals-including-lead-were-not-real-or-useful-test-results-why-is-this/
Tamara
I wore a necklace from Paparazzi this weekend (9/11/21) and now my neck is all broken out. That necklace is the only thing I have worn that had not been worn before. And it’s only on my neck and partially down my chest. It’s bad.
I would be interested in testing it – free of charge – would you be interested in sending it to me? If so – please e-mail me a picture: tamaraRubin@mac.com – Thanks!
My neck broke out after wearing a necklace and it’s been over a week! I’ve been using Benadryl on it 3 times per day and it still has not healed!
I think paparazzi should issue a total refund to everyone that bought this jewerly.
I agree with that sentiment!
I agree !!
There’s a huge lawsuit going on, everyone should join!
Is it just MLM jewelery companies product’s that you test and post about? Are you testing jewelry from Walmart, Target. Kohls, Macy’s, ect.?
Hi. There are over 3,000 posts and pages on this blog – most with XRF Test results for consumer goods. These range from Jewelry to Dishes to Mugs to Sex Toys to Dolls to Vintage Toys. I test what my readers send me to test. To Learn more about how to participate check out this link:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/08/tamara-can-i-send-you-one-of-my-dishes-to-test-for-lead/
To learn more about the testing methodology I use, here’s another link.
https://tamararubin.com/2016/12/ask-tamara-what-do-you-use-to-test-for-lead/
To learn how to search the blog to find other products I have tested this video is short but very helpful, a quick little tutorial.
https://youtu.be/vDqTi5KSQt0
Thank you for commenting! Welcome to the website!
Also here’s the “Start Here” post that you might find helpful!
https://tamararubin.com/2019/12/start-here/
Tamara
It is specifically Paparazzi Accessories jewelry. The company claims their products are lead and nickel free. That claim is not true. To my knowledge, o
ther companies i.e. Walmart, Target, etc. do not claim to be lead and nickel free. Paparazzi consultants were mislead by the company. There are many, many cases of health problems and other concerns that include this company’s product.
There is a group called “crack the crown” that recently did testing on paparazzi jewelry and the results they got showed lead, nickel, cadmium, and several other toxic metals. I would love to see a collaboration, or even a verification of their results.
We’re in touch. They did their testing in response to my findings. My testing on these was from two years ago and their testing confirmed my initial findings.
Tamara
Is there a way to get a refund on unopened Paparazzi jewelry?
I don’t believe there is.
Hi my husband been suffering headaches for about one year … I have been given hundreds of paparazzi gifts and not to mention all that I purchased myself. Anyways I have my bedroom stacked with paparazzi jewelry and it’s in my walk-in closet as well. Can my husband be suffering from headaches because of being surrounded by the jewlery on the bedroom furniture and in my walk-in closet and on top of the bedroom furniture. I’m wondering if it leaches out into the air. ???
Any information would be helpful! Thank uou
I used to sell the jewelry as well, I always thought tgere was something strange about this company and the lady who signed me up including a friend. I now have anemia and will be filing soon.