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 little ceramic parrot hair clip tested positive for both high levels of lead and cadmium (high compared to current standards for allowable levels of toxicants in items intended for children.) While the owner told me she got this in 1978 in Florida, I also want to say that I am 48 years old and […]
Which of these vintage faux pearls have lead? How much lead do they have? Every now and then I like to create post that you can share with your friends when introducing them to the subject of lead in consumer goods. When it’s a bit of a guessing game it tends to make it a […]
Click here to see some of the other “pearls” I have tested. This is the fourth set of faux pearls I have posted here on my site. Since there is also no mark or maker on these pearls (as with most vintage faux pearls) I will do my best to describe some of the qualities […]
Since there is no mark or maker on these pearls I will do my best to describe some of the qualities that cannot be seen in a photo. These look and feel like real pearls to an untrained eye. They are an off-white/cream color and heavily weighted. They are also strung as a graduated strand, […]
This necklace was brought to me in 2013 to be tested. It was being worn by a little girl. It was positive for 8,000 ppm lead in the crystals, 16,000 ppm lead in the clasp and 185,000 ppm lead in the small round metallic beads. The amount of lead that is considered toxic in an […]
Vintage Plastic Avon Bear Pin. 2,300+ ppm lead (Pb). The amount of lead that is considered toxic in the paint or coating of a modern item manufactured and intended for use by children is anything 90 ppm lead or higher. I have tested quite a few vintage and newer Avon items that have been very […]
Mardi Gras Beads (2012) Purple: 315 ppm Lead, 132 ppm Cadmium. Tested with an XRF instrument. Thank you to Jennifer Carey for making this post possible by contributing in support of my advocacy work! The amount of lead that is considered toxic in an item intended for children is anything 90 parts per million (ppm) […]
Please check out this little video below that Carissa (from Creative Green Living) and I made, testing costume jewelry hot of the display shelf at Target! Check out my #SaferChoices post about jewelry here! If you appreciate what I do & would like to support my advocacy work (including the XRF testing I do of consumer goods) please consider […]
Alex & Ani Bracelets: Lead Free, Cadmium Free, Mercury Free, Arsenic Free! All components tested on bracelets pictured below. Please note: I cannot personally guarantee that all items from this brand will be lead free. Several are listed as having “crystals” which could be leaded (and cannot be assumed to be unleaded.) Only the specific […]
