30/07/2026
We all know that buying silver on-line is a risky business. But just how risky is scary as the following article shows.
"Sterling silver" jewelry sold on Amazon contained 9,000 times the legal limit for toxic cadmium.
An investigation by The Sunday Times found that jewelry sold through Amazon and TikTok Shop contained illegal quantities of cadmium, a silvery-white heavy metal that can resemble silver.
Independent testing by the Birmingham Assay Office found that one Amazon ring advertised as “925 silver” was approximately 92.3% cadmium.
That is more than 9,000 times the UK’s legal limit of 0.01% cadmium in jewelry. Genuine 925 sterling silver should contain at least 92.5% silver.
Charms on a bracelet sold through TikTok Shop and advertised as silver were found to contain about 33% cadmium, nearly 3,300 times the legal limit.
Other earrings and charms tested during the investigation also exceeded the limit, in some cases by thousands of times.
Cadmium can build up in the body over time and is recognized as a carcinogenic metal. Long-term exposure can damage the kidneys, bones and lungs, while high exposure has also been associated with liver damage and cancer.
Skin absorption is relatively low, at around 0.5%, but exposure can still occur when someone handles contaminated jewelry and then touches food or their mouth. The risk is greater if an item is swallowed, mouthed by a child or worn against pierced or damaged skin.
The UK tightly restricts cadmium in jewelry, but the United States does not have one comprehensive nationwide limit covering all adult jewelry.
Some states regulate cadmium in children’s products. California, for example, limits children’s jewelry components to 300 parts per million, or 0.03% cadmium by weight.
TikTok Shop issued a recall after being informed of the contaminated bracelet and said the seller had already been banned for violating its policies.
Amazon said it was removing the affected products after an internal investigation and requires sellers to comply with applicable safety laws.
The findings expose a major weakness in online marketplaces, where inexpensive jewelry can be inaccurately labeled and shipped directly to consumers before meaningful safety testing takes place.
Learn more:
"Jewelry made of carcinogen sold as silver on Amazon." The Times
