XRFTesting

Vintage Bauer Los Angeles Plate, Green: 430,100 ppm Lead (yes 43% Lead glaze!). Not safe for food use!

January 15, 2017August 11, 2019

The green vintage Bauer, Los Angeles plate pictured here tested positive for Lead at the following level: 430,100 parts per million Lead (when tested with an XRF instrument.) This translates to glaze that is 43% Lead! For context: the amount of Lead that is considered unsafe (and illegal) in a newly manufactured item intended for…

Vintage Bauer Los Angeles Dinner Plate: 459,300 ppm Lead. Context; 90 ppm Lead is illegal in new items made for kids.

January 15, 2017August 12, 2019

When tested with an XRF instrument this orange vintage Bauer, Los Angeles dinner plate was positive for 459,300 parts per million lead. [Sorry about the fuzzy photo!] That’s more than 45% Lead in the glaze! This dish tested negative with Lead Check swab (which are designed to test for lead on painted surfaces – not…

Blue Vintage Bauer Los Angeles Dinner Plate: 434,800 parts per million Lead [90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids.]

January 15, 2017August 12, 2019

Blue plate, vintage Bauer, Los Angeles: 434,800 parts per million lead. Even though the Lead level on this plate (when tested with an XRF instrument) was incredibly high, this particular plate tested negative with tested with a Lead Check swab* (which are designed to test for lead on painted surfaces – and do not always…

Vintage Bauer Los Angeles Yellow Ceramic Saucer: 174,800 ppm Lead. 90 ppm is unsafe for kids.

January 15, 2017August 12, 2019

When tested with an XRF instrument this yellow vintage Bauer, Los Angeles saucer was positive for 174,800 parts per million lead. [Sorry about the fuzzy photo!] That’s more than 17% Lead in the glaze! This dish tested negative with Lead Check swab (which are designed to test for lead on painted surfaces – not pottery),…

Vintage Bauer Los Angeles Yellow Glazed Ceramic Plate: 524,400 ppm Lead in the glaze. 90 ppm is unsafe for kids.

January 15, 2017August 12, 2019

When tested with an XRF instrument this yellow vintage Bauer, Los Angeles dinner plate was positive for 524,400 parts per million lead. That’s more than 52% Lead in the glaze! This dish tested negative with Lead Check swab (which are designed to test for lead on painted surfaces – not pottery), but why take the…

From 2013: The surprising source of most mercury pollution: Gold mining

January 15, 2017January 15, 2017

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Please click on the image below to see the full pdf of the article. Click here to see gold items that I have tested with an XRF that were also positive for mercury. The original link to article from 2013 can be seen here. A graphic depicting sources of mercury pollution from the original article…

Vintage Clarence Bone China Teacup: 56,700 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe for kids.]

January 14, 2017March 18, 2019

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Clarence Bone China, Made in England, Teacup: 56,700 ppm Lead. For context, the amount of lead that is considered unsafe in newly manufactured items intended for use by children is anything 90 ppm Lead or higher in the paint, coating or glaze. Antiques and vintage items are not regulated and when selling them (in most…

Vintage Crown Trent Staffordshire Made In England Teacup: 47,200 ppm Lead. [90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids.]

January 14, 2017March 18, 2019

Teacup: 47,200 ppm Lead (Pb). Fine Bone China Crown Trent Staffordshire England For Context: in 2018 the amount of lead that is considered toxic in a modern/newly manufactured item intended for use children is 90 ppm lead (or higher) in the coating, paint or glaze or 100 ppm (or higher) in the substrate. Dishware is…

Vintage “Golden Crown” Ena Harkness Rose Queen Series Mug: 44,000 ppm Lead [90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids]

January 14, 2017March 26, 2019

Coffee cup : 44,000 ppm lead Bone China – Golden Crown – E & R, England Rose Queen Series, Ena Harkness. For context: The amount of Lead that is considered unsafe and illegal in newly manufactured items intended for use by children is anything 90 ppm Lead (or higher) in the paint, glaze or coating….

#LeadedKitchen: Emile Henry Bowl & Plate

January 14, 2017

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Emile Henry | XRF Testing | XRFTesting

Newer (2014) Emile Henry plate and bowl: 120-140 ppm lead. This has likely been leach tested and passed with flying colors. Leach testing is a different methodology for determining lead content than XRF testing. Click links below for more information about testing. Tested with an XRF —- #XRFTesting #LeadedDishes • #LeadSafeDishes For more safer choices…

#LeadedKitchen: Emile Henry Loaf Pan

January 14, 2017

Emile Henry; Made In France: 260 ppm lead. This has likely been leach tested and passed with flying colors. Leach testing is a different methodology for determining lead content than XRF testing. Click links below for more information about testing. Tested with an XRF —- #XRFTesting #LeadedDishes • #LeadSafeDishes For more safer choices in kitchenware…

Emile Henry Mixing Bowl, Purchased at Williams Sonoma c. 2014: 1,647 ppm Lead on the food surface.

January 14, 2017November 21, 2023

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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…

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 Ceramic Hull Brand Mixing Bowl: 31,500 ppm Lead (when tested with an XRF instrument.)

January 14, 2017January 25, 2019

Ceramic “Hull” mixing bowl: 31,400 ppm lead. For LEAD FREE mixing bowl choices, click HERE. For more safer choices in kitchenware options, click here. Note: I am not saying this particular bowl will poison the people using it. I am saying that there is no reason for one of the most potent neurotoxins known to…

#LeadedKitchen: Vintage Ceramic Mixing Bowls

January 14, 2017

Vintage – unmarked mixing bowls – 9180 ppm lead – cracked & crazing. Not regulated. 90 ppm is considered toxic in a child’s toy. Tested with an XRF —- #XRFTesting #LeadedDishes • #LeadSafeDishes For LEAD FREE mixing bowl choices, click HERE. For more safer choices in kitchenware options, click here. Note: I am not saying…

#LeadedKitchen: Vintage 1970s Salt Pottery Mixing Bowl

January 14, 2017January 14, 2017

Vintage salt pottery (c. 1970s) mixing bowl: 6,059 ppm lead. A mama asked me to test this because she had made a batch of Kombucha in it and the Kombucha was making her feel sick/ light headed/ dizzy. Tested with an XRF —- #XRFTesting #LeadedDishes • #LeadSafeDishes For LEAD FREE mixing bowl choices, click HERE….

Vintage 1970s Era Cereal Bowl: 134,100 ppm Lead

January 14, 2017November 2, 2018

Please click the link for help making safer choices for your family. Vintage (1970s?) cereal bowl: 134,100 ppm lead (yikes!) when tested with an XRF instrument. For context: when testing is done with an XRF instrument, the amount of lead that is considered toxic in a newly manufactured item made today and intended for use…

Pier One Yellow Glazed Ceramic Plate, Made in Portugal: 6,495 ppm Lead

January 14, 2017February 10, 2019

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Yellow Pier One plate/ bowl When tested with an XRF instrument this dish was positive for Lead at 6,495 ppm. This is actually fairly common both for Pier 1 pieces as well as for ceramic pieces that are made in Portugal. As a result I always stay away from Pier One for dishware personally. To see…

#LeadSafeDishes: Made In Japan

January 14, 2017

Made in Japan bowl — ranging from 17 ppm lead to 23 ppm lead. This is very low lead! Considered safe by all standards. XRFTesting ___ Learn more and find lead-free dishware options here: https://tamararubin.com/2016/12/dishes/

Wedgwood Hedge Rose bowl (Made in England): 100,000+ ppm Lead & 19,114 ppm Arsenic. [Not safe for food use.]

January 14, 2017September 1, 2019

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Wedgwood china Hedge Rose bowl (made in England). When tested with an XRF instrument this bowl had the following readings: Lead: Greater than 100,000 ppm Arsenic: 19,114 ppm Under no circumstances would I consider this bowl safe for food use. This level of Lead is consistent with my findings for all vintage china from this…

#TestingParties: Corelle Dishes

January 14, 2017

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This is what is left of a white Corelle plate with a green and blue ring around the edge. It tested negative for lead, negative for arsenic and negative for cadmium. IF you ship me things to test for you… please pack them well! I get a lot of broken dishes in the mail! #XRFTesting…

#LeadedHome: Ring Stand

January 14, 2017January 14, 2017

Crystal | Leaded Crystal | XRF Testing | XRFTesting

387,200 parts per million lead (leaded crystal ring stand.) #XRFTesting Choosing products made of leaded crystal supports the work of companies that do lead mining and lead refining. These companies poison the planet and often poison their workers in the process. Please consider alternatives to leaded crystal. Solid sterling silver is an option, stainless steel,…

Gold wedding set (c. 2016): 5,527 ppm Mercury, 1,214 ppm Arsenic (+ Gold, Silver, Titanium & Copper).

January 14, 2017December 7, 2023

19 Comments

Originally written January 14, 2017 Updated (extensively!) February 17, 2020 This is an ad-free article. To make a contribution to help us keep our most widely-read articles ad-free, click here. Thank you. 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…

#LeadFreeChoices: Spanish Earrings

January 14, 2017January 14, 2017

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Earrings from Spain – no lead! “Toledo” style jewelry. Non-detect for lead with an XRF Instrument. Click here for guidelines for #SaferChoices: Including solid silver jewelry marked “925” – with natural stones (not crystals.)