Made In California Archives

Tested for a Lead Safe Mama Instagram follower, Franciscan “Picnic” pattern dish, Made in USA: 108,300 ppm Lead on surface (not safe for use with food)

May 2, 2023September 24, 2023

For those new to this website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-Federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead-poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used by…

Blue and silver Franciscan Twilight pattern dish: 304,000 ppm (30%!) Lead on the blue glazed food surface of the dish.

August 11, 2022October 18, 2022

1 Comment

XRF test results for the dish pictured. Reading #1) on the blue center of the dish 60-Second Reading Lead (Pb): 304,000 +/- 21,000 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 269 +/- 91 ppm Tin (Sn): non-detect Mercury (Hg): non-detect Selenium (Se): non-detect Barium (Ba): 2,482 +/- 804 ppm Arsenic (As): non-detect Chromium (Cr): non-detect Antimony (Sb): 468 +/-…

Vintage Starburst pattern dishes: 83,000 ppm Lead. All Franciscan pieces are high Lead and I do not consider them food-safe!

July 10, 2020January 20, 2024

11 Comments

Each of the images below is a link to test results for the Franciscan image pictured: Posted: July 10, 2020 Summary: When tested with an XRF instrument, the dish pictured here had the readings listed below. ALL FRANCISCAN POTTERIES pieces I have EVER TESTED have had a similarly high level of Lead. They also…

Heath Ceramic Bowl (#104) Sausalito, California: 226,000 ppm Lead (90 ppm is unsafe for kids)

January 30, 2020June 27, 2023

1 Comment

Introduction (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, her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005. Since 2009 Tamara has been using XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)…

Hand Painted Raffia Vernonware – Made in California: 93,900 ppm Lead in the glaze. 90 ppm is unsafe for kids.

December 10, 2019May 4, 2021

2 Comments

When tested with an XRF instrument the small hand painted Raffia Vernonware bowl pictured here had the following readings: Center of the food surface of dish: Lead (Pb): 93,900 +/- 3,400 ppm Tin (Sn): 2,221 +/- 152 ppm Zinc (Zn): 969+/- 94 ppm Iron (Fe): 1,011 +/- 237 ppm Vanadium (V): 208 +/- 50 ppm…

Shallow Heath Potteries Bowl (Sausalito, CA): 125,000 ppm Lead. For context: 90 ppm is unsafe in children’s items.

June 16, 2019June 18, 2019

8 Comments

When tested with an XRF instrument this blue glazed ceramic bowl by Heath Potteries of Sausalito, California (year of manufacture is unknown) had the following readings: Food Surface / Blue Glazed Interior of Bowl Lead (Pb): 838 +/- 28 ppm Barium (Ba): 585 +/- 38 ppm Antimony (Sb): 25 +/- 12 ppm Tin (Sn): 284…

Do Franciscan Potteries vintage dishes have unsafe levels of lead? Does Mexican pottery that is marked lead-free have unsafe levels of lead? (video)

June 19, 2018April 23, 2020

5 Comments

Here are the blog posts related to the video below: Franciscan Ivy. Franciscan Desert Rose. Mexican “Lead-Free” Pottery. Comments to the “viewers” in this are from the original posting of the video as a Facebook Live video! Video is about 6 minutes long, and also shows you how to stretch one LeadCheck swab out to…

Franciscan Desert Rose Earthenware China — c. 1941, Made in USA: 122,200 ppm Lead! (90 ppm is unsafe in kids’ items)

June 14, 2018September 24, 2023

39 Comments

For those new to this website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used…

Franciscan Ware Potteries (c. 1948) Franciscan Ivy Pattern Serving Tray: 304,000 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe]

June 14, 2018September 1, 2019

4 Comments

This is a Franciscan Potteries vintage “Ivy” pattern serving tray that I got at the Good Will Bins a while back (to add to my “Museum of Lead” collection!) The interesting thing about glazes (especially on pieces that are handmade or hand-painted) is that the levels of lead can vary significantly across the surface of…

Vintage Bauer Los Angeles Blue Mixing Bowl: 474,100 ppm Lead. 90 ppm is unsafe in children’s items.

January 14, 2017April 13, 2020

Blue vintage mixing bowl by “Bauer, Los Angeles”. When tested with an XRF instrument the bowl pictured had the following readings: Lead (Pb): 454,100 parts per million (ppm) on the outside Lead (Pb): 474,100 ppm on the inside (the FOOD SURFACE of the bowl!) Important to note, the bowl also tested negative with Lead Check…

Vintage (c. 1955-1966) Franciscan Autumn Pattern China: 716,100 ppm Lead [71%!] + 73,000 ppm Arsenic Too!

December 27, 2016September 1, 2019

13 Comments

Franciscan Autumn Pattern plate & saucer: as high as 716,100 ppm Lead in the glaze. Autumn Pattern: 1955 – 1966 Also: 73,000 ppm Arsenic. Note: the plate was higher lead than the bowl, and they look like they are from different batches based on the maker’s marks on the bottom. The bowl / saucer was…