Sterling

Sterling silver wedding band style ring: 938,700 ppm Silver & 52,000 ppm Copper (+ Tin, Vanadium & Barium.)

Sterling silver wedding band style ring: 938,700 ppm Silver & 52,000 ppm Copper (+ Tin, Vanadium & Barium.)

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XRF test results for the ring pictured. This is a really good example of typical total metals content for 925-marked modern Sterling Silver. The two main ingredients in modern Sterling are Silver [usually at least 925,000 ppm — hence the “925” mark, which translates to 92.5% of the total make up of metals for the item],…

Moogco Sterling Silver Protective Nursing Cups: very pure Silver (938,000 ppm Silver!) Did you know that historically these were made of LEAD?!

Moogco Sterling Silver Protective Nursing Cups: very pure Silver (938,000 ppm Silver!) Did you know that historically these were made of LEAD?!

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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…

Sterling silver Wendell Manufacturing Co. baby spoon, c. 1895-1900: 1,677 ppm Lead in the handle. 90 is unsafe.

Sterling silver Wendell Manufacturing Co. baby spoon, c. 1895-1900: 1,677 ppm Lead in the handle. 90 is unsafe.

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First I just want to say that I LOVE finding resources like this (link here) online! I was looking to identify the back mark of the little antique sterling silver spoon pictured here on this post and this “Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks” had not only a photo of the mark with the name of…

Vintage Sterling China Cup & Saucer: 37,500 ppm Lead. All Sterling China I’ve tested has had unsafe levels of Lead.

Vintage Sterling China Cup & Saucer: 37,500 ppm Lead. All Sterling China I’ve tested has had unsafe levels of Lead.

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Nestle cup and saucer – logo area; 60 second test. Lead (Pb): 37,500 +/- 1,100 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 55 +/- 17 ppm Barium (Ba): 510 +/- 103 ppm Antimony (Sb): 450 +/- 44 ppm Tin (Sn): 7,848 +/- 366 ppm Zinc (Zn): 573 +/- 63 ppm Iron (Fe): 1,022 +/- 208 ppm Vanadium (V): 113…

Vintage Tiny Collectable Rolex Bucherer of Switzerland Spoon: 975,000 ppm Silver (more pure than 925), no LEAD!

Vintage Tiny Collectable Rolex Bucherer of Switzerland Spoon: 975,000 ppm Silver (more pure than 925), no LEAD!

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When tested with an XRF instrument this tiny vintage “Rolex” spoon by Bucherer of Switzerland turned out to actually be fine silver! This was a surprise to me as I have found Lead in a LOT of different collectable miniature spoons like this. Here’s the full XRF reading set for this Rolex spoon (when tested…

Marine Commissary WW2 Dish: 43,200 ppm Lead

Marine Commissary WW2 Dish: 43,200 ppm Lead

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WWII US Marine Commissary Vitrified China dish, by Sterling, East Liverpool, Ohio: 43,200 ppm LEAD. Read more about testing dishes here. To see the #LeadFree dishes I use in my home, click here. For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in support of my independent consumer goods testing and lead…

Necklaces, Necklaces, Necklaces (1 in 3)

Necklaces, Necklaces, Necklaces (1 in 3)

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Originally Posted May 15, 2017 Hello friends! Thank you so much to those of you who already bought a “1 in 3” lead poisoning prevention advocacy necklace! Here’s my original post about the necklaces from 2012 if you have not read it yet. [Don’t know what “1 in 3” stands for? Click here!] I wanted…

Vintage 1950s Silverware, Blossom Time: Lead-free! Vintage (but not antique!) sterling silver is generally a safe choice.

Vintage 1950s Silverware, Blossom Time: Lead-free! Vintage (but not antique!) sterling silver is generally a safe choice.

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Originally written: March 28, 2017 Updated: March 3, 2020 A little personal story about the silverware pictured here. My husband’s mother died of a very aggressive form of lung cancer when he was just 18 years old (c. 1976.).  As a result, I never met my mother-in-law – and my children never had her as…

#XRFTesting: My Little Pony Necklace

#XRFTesting: My Little Pony Necklace

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My Little Pony Necklace: Lead Free, Cadmium Free, Mercury Free, Arsenic Free! All components tested. Newly made / recently made costume jewelry made and sold as intended for children is usually lead free, but not always. Note: when making choices for children, please avoid ALL vintage costume jewelry as it is nearly always VERY HIGH…

#SaferChoices: How to choose jewelry that is Lead-free, Cadmium-free & otherwise safe from a toxicant perspective

#SaferChoices: How to choose jewelry that is Lead-free, Cadmium-free & otherwise safe from a toxicant perspective

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  For those new to the Lead Safe Mama 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). Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC…