25/07/2026
Wow! Just a bit frightening!
Obv. Not everything is dodgy, however, this is a good reminder not all glitter is gold, or in this case, silver!
Buyer beware!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1603524408052152&id=100051838253045
"Silver" jewelry sold on Amazon actually contained 9,000 times the legal cadmium limit.
An investigation by The Sunday Times purchased inexpensive jewelry from Amazon and TikTok Shop and sent it to the Birmingham Assay Office for independent testing.
One Amazon ring advertised as “925 silver” contained 92.3 percent cadmium, more than 9,000 times the legal limit for jewelry in the UK.
Real 925 sterling silver should contain at least 92.5 percent silver.
Charms on a bracelet sold through TikTok Shop were found to contain 33 percent cadmium, nearly 3,300 times the permitted level. The products were removed after the marketplaces were informed of the results.
Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal that can accumulate inside the body over time. It can damage the kidneys, bones and respiratory system, and is classified as a human carcinogen.
The UK and European limit for cadmium in jewelry is 0.01 percent.
The discovery does not mean that briefly touching one contaminated item will cause cadmium poisoning. The amount absorbed through healthy skin is generally limited. However, experts are more concerned about prolonged contact, pierced or broken skin, and jewelry that children may place in their mouths or accidentally swallow.
The findings also raise a larger problem with low-cost products sold by third-party sellers online. Items may be advertised as silver even when buyers have no reliable way to confirm what metals they actually contain.
A separate UK safety report published in June found an Amazon-listed silver-colored ring containing 86.7 percent cadmium. Authorities classified it as a serious chemical risk and rejected the shipment at the border.
Consumers are advised to be cautious with unusually cheap jewelry, unclear material descriptions and products from sellers that provide little information about manufacturing or safety testing.
Learn more:
"Jewelry made of carcinogen sold as silver on Amazon." The Times
