California’s AG cracks down on jewelry containing lead and a toxic metal that’s even worse

California’s efforts to crack down on lead and cadmium in jewelry resulted in a victory for the state’s top law enforcer but a state senate bill to toughen the amount of toxic materials in trinkets like earrings and bracelets also faced a set back this week.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Tuesday that five jewelry purveyors reached a settlement with the Department of Justice worth $83,362, agreeing to stop selling accessories that contained high levels of the toxic metals.

Becerra said the Southern California-based companies – Peer JS, Sun’s Trading, Andrea Bijoux, Seven Star and Le Belle – knowingly sold toxic jewelry.

“In some cases, the jewelry exceeded the legal amount by 1,000 times. In addition, one of the companies misled consumers by labeling jewelry as ‘lead-free’ even though it contained unlawful levels of lead,” Becerra said.

Becerra is also backing a bill by state Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, that would further restrict the amount of lead and cadmium allowed in jewelry.

Senate Bill 647 would reduce the minimum amount of lead allowed in electroplated metal to 0.05 percent of lead by weight, and also limit the amount of lead in plastic or rubber to 0.02 percent by weight. Under the proposal, cadmium also would be limited to no more than 0.03 percent by weight for jewelry components and 0.0075 percent by weight for surface coating.

Lead adds a reassuring heft to the jewelry, while cadmium can enhance the appearance, Becerra said. China is the leading supplier of such ornaments, which are often marketed to children or as costume jewelry.

Both lead and cadmium exposure can lead to kidney and brain damage, seizures, comas and death; lead exposure can also cause children to experience stunted neurological development.

Mitchell’s bill passed out of the Senate Committee on Appropriations but was placed Monday in the committee’s suspense file. The move likely means SB 647 wouldn’t be taken up in the current session.

This story was originally published May 7, 2019 at 4:49 PM.