Don't Accidentally Eat Your Costume Jewelry—'Cause the Toxins in Them Might Kill You! (2024)

FAQs

What are the dangers of costume jewelry? ›

Cheap Materials May Be Dangerous

Few states in the US have regulations on cadmium use in jewelry, and if they do, it's not enforced well. Some retailers use it and we as consumers never know if our jewelry has it or not. Cadmium exposure can cause kidney, lung, and bone damage.

Lead is a toxic metal, which doesn't break down in the environment and accumulates in our body. High levels of lead have been found in jewelry, especially inexpensive children's jewelry. Exposures to lead can lead to a number of health problems, including: behavioral problems.

Lead-containing jewelry poses a particular concern because children often place jewelry in their mouths, which can result in lead absorption at dangerous levels or very serious health effects if the jewelry is accidentally swallowed.

Both cadmium and lead have also been linked to cancer and kidney damage. Cadmium exposure is particularly a problem for young children who may suck on and even accidentally swallow tainted items. These toxins accumulate during childhood and can lead to health problems later.

Most jewelry from China is safe to wear except the suspiciously cheap ones. Thus, it's recommended to buy from a reliable source with a proven track record of meeting safety standards.

Throw out heavily tarnished and inexpensive pieces that are broken and unfixable. Costume jewelry from retail stores, flash plated jewelry, and gold-plated jewelry that has faded completely included.

Aside from causing skin irritations, some metals used to make cheap jewelry contain things like high concentrations of nickel, which can cause a severe reaction. There's also the fact that you don't know where the earrings were made, so they may contain other poisonous or harmful substances.

Shein's products have been tested for toxic chemicals and metals and found to contain phthalates, PFAS, and lead - all of which can harm human health and the environment. There is no evidence that Shein is taking any action to protect consumers or workers from toxic substances.

Some costume jewellery can contain skin-irritant chemicals like lead, cadmium(a component of zinc), chromium, nickel, brominated flame retardants, chlorine and mercury.

How do I detox my body of metal? ›

Doctors may use certain drugs, such as penicillamine or dimercaprol, that bind to metals and carry them out of the body. For people with low but regular exposure to heavy metals, which can build up in the body, a heavy metal detox may help prevent a variety of chronic conditions.

The Ecology Center, a Michigan-based non-profit organization that advocates for a safe and healthy environment, discovered through recently conducted tests that despite strict regulations, many pieces of costume jewelry contain high levels of unsafe chemicals including lead, chromium and nickel.

Some jewelry may contain lead and cadmium. These items may present a hazard if mouthed, chewed, or swallowed by children.

This reaction is commonly known as contact dermatitis, and its main symptom is a red, itchy rash. While this rash isn't contagious or life-threatening, it can be very uncomfortable. Most jewelry allergies are caused by the metal nickel, which is used as the base metal for many inexpensive pieces of jewelry.

Jewelry is considered a physical hazard that can cause choking, cuts, injury, or other foodborne illness when ingested. These articles often obstruct proper handwashing and make the process ineffective.

Jewelry can also get hung up in office equipment. Even when working on a car, your watch and rings can get caught on a moving or overheated part. Jewelry can also break off and damage equipment, or it can become a potentially lethal projectile when coming out of a moving piece of machinery.