October 16, 2022 – Sunday
This cuff bracelet tested positive for a high level of Lead. It is possible that this is a vintage piece from the 1960s or from the 1980s – since plastic jewelry was very popular in each of those eras [if it was pre-1960, I would expect the plastic to have a rather different toxicant profile (in plastic items of this sort from previous eras, often such a piece would also test positive for high levels of Arsenic and/or Mercury).]
- For context: the amount of Lead that is considered unsafe in an item intended for use by children is 90 ppm Lead or higher in the paint, glaze or coating of an item, or 100 ppm Lead or higher in the substrate (the base material of the item).
- This is an unpainted plastic item, and therefore the substrate level is the level that would apply – were this to be an [explicitly-designated] children’s item.
- So (based on the Lead levels reported below) this is positive for Lead at a level that would most definitely be considered unsafe for kids if it were manufactured today.
Unfortunately, for jewelry manufactured for use by adults (particularly vintage pieces – but also even most modern costume jewelry, too) there are no regulatory standards with total content limits for most metallic toxicants.
The problem is, this type of jewelry is also very attractive to children (and often handed down to children to use for dress-up play!), so I frequently caution grandparents and parents about that – urging them to keep vintage jewelry (plastic, metal, crystal, faux pearls [which are often actually Lead-painted Leaded Crystal!], etc.) away from children.
TAKEAWAY: To reiterate, most vintage materials used in jewelry making can be quite toxic — especially if they were manufactured more than 20 years ago. Additionally, even many of the new costume jewelry pieces sold as “adult” jewelry [vs. items explicitly marketed for use by children] can be quite unsafe for kids.
- To see more vintage jewelry I have tested, click here.
- To see more vintage plastic items I have tested, click here.
- To see more bracelets I have tested, click here.
- To learn more about the testing methodologies used in this work, click here.
Below is a full set of XRF test results for the vintage plastic cuff bracelet pictured.
Reading #1) – on the yellow plastic edge
60-second reading
Readings repeated multiple times to confirm the results
- Lead (Pb): 1,353 +/- 26 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): non-detect
- Arsenic (As): non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): 165 +/- 55 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Nickel (Ni): non-detect
- Copper (Cu): 13 +/- 8 ppm
- Bromine (Br): 4 +/- 3 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): non-detect
- Titanium (Ti): non-detect
- Manganese (Mn): non-detect
- Bromine (Br): non-detect
- Indium (In): non-detect
- Bismuth (Bi): 17 +/- 9 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
- Niobium (Nb): non-detect
- Iron (Fe): non-detect
- Gold (Au): non-detect
- Cobalt (Co): non-detect
- Tungsten (W): non-detect
- Platinum (Pt): non-detect
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Reading #2) – on the pink plastic edge
30-second reading
Readings repeated multiple times to confirm the results
- Lead (Pb): 478 +/- 22 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): non-detect
- Arsenic (As): non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): non-detect
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Nickel (Ni): non-detect
- Copper (Cu): non-detect
- Bromine (Br): non-detect
- Zinc (Zn): non-detect
- Titanium (Ti): 3,490 +/- 435 ppm
- Manganese (Mn): non-detect
- Bromine (Br): 11 +/- 3 ppm
- Indium (In): non-detect
- Bismuth (Bi): non-detect
- Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
- Niobium (Nb): non-detect
- Iron (Fe): non-detect
- Gold (Au): non-detect
- Cobalt (Co): non-detect
- Tungsten (W): non-detect
- Platinum (Pt): non-detect
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Reading #3) – on the middle of the bracelet with several colors including red
30-second reading
Readings repeated multiple times to confirm the results
- Lead (Pb): 1,668 +/- 40 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
- Tin (Sn): non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Selenium (Se): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): non-detect
- Arsenic (As): non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): 167 +/- 67 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): non-detect
- Nickel (Ni): non-detect
- Copper (Cu): non-detect
- Bromine (Br): 8 +/- 4 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): non-detect
- Titanium (Ti): non-detect
- Manganese (Mn): non-detect
- Bromine (Br): non-detect
- Indium (In): non-detect
- Bismuth (Bi): non-detect
- Zirconium (Zr): non-detect
- Niobium (Nb): non-detect
- Iron (Fe): non-detect
- Gold (Au): non-detect
- Cobalt (Co): non-detect
- Tungsten (W): non-detect
- Platinum (Pt): non-detect
- No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
For those new to this website
Tamara Rubin is a Federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children. Tamara’s sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in August of 2005. 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. Her work was also responsible for two CPSC product recalls in the summer of 2022, the Jumping Jumperoo recall (June 2022) and the Lead painted NUK baby bottle recall (July 2022) and was featured in an NPR story about Lead in consumer goods in August of 2022. Tamara uses XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals), including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic. All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times, to confirm the test results for each component tested and reported on. Please click through to this link to learn more about the testing methodology used for the test results discussed and reported on this website.
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