Does Your Jewelry Contain Any of These 5 Harmful Heavy Metals or Chemicals?

Hypoallergenic jewelry may seem like a stretch and something only Gwyneth Paltrow would care about; but, in reality the skin is the largest organ and absorbs everything that we decide to put on it. If we care about what we eat, we should really care a little more about what is being absorbs to the bloodstream through or skin.

Most people think nickel free when the topic of hypoallergenic jewelry comes up, but in fact, there are so many harmful and potentially fatal heavy metals, compounds and chemicals in jewelry, especially with fast-fashion jewelry. 

The chemicals and metals are actually so harmful that California and the European Union had to put in some laws to regulate how much, and even if, some metals and chemicals are allowed. 

We decided to go beyond regulations and make jewelry that is 100% free from harmful heavy metals and chemicals. A few of the chemicals and compounds we decides to ditch completely care: 

• Lead
• Cadmium
• Cyanide 
• Plastics 
• + our jewelry does rarely release nickel 

Nickel: Skin Irritating Metal that Can Lead to Cancer

Nickel is a hard, silvery-white metal used in many industries. In the jewelry industry it’s used to make stainless steel and other metal alloys shine, more scratch resistant, and more likely to hold a gold plating. 

Nickel causes irritation to the skin for many people, and is therefore not recommended for children or people just getting new piercings. Most people will notice they have a nickel allergy from earrings, but people with more severe allergies can notice rashes and itching skin from necklaces, rings, and bracelets etc. 

Worst part with nickel is that to it can also harm the lungs, stomach, and kidneys and even lead to cancer for people working with nickel. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people working in jewelry shops or jewelry manufacturing can be exposed to unhealthy levels of nickel if the jewelry contains it.  

Lead: Fatal Heavy Metal Linked to Learning Disabilities Organ Failure, Commonly Used in Inexpensive Jewelry

Lead is a toxic metal that does not break down in the environment and therefore accumulates in your body. It is used in jewelry to make it heavier, brighten the colors, and stabilize or soften plastics. 

High levels of lead can often be found in inexpensive jewelry, especially children’s jewelry. Lead exposure can lead to a number of health problems, such as behavioral and learning disabilities, joint and muscle weakness, anemia, organ failure and death.

According to the California Department of Toxic Substances Control “lead can be dangerous, even deadly when used in jewelry. The state of California regulates lead in jewelry to help prevent it from harming people.”

Cadmium: Potentially Fatal, Carcinogenic Heavy Metal Used in Jewelry Coatings/Platings 

Cadmium is another heavy metal used in metal plating and coatings. It adds shine, weight and mass to jewelry. However, cadmium is also a toxic heavy metal and a suspected carcinogen. Chronic cadmium ingestion can lead to kidney damage, bone loss problems; vomiting, diarrhea and even death at high enough doses. Children are particularly susceptible to these health effects.

Cyanide: A Deadly Chemical Used in Traditional Gold Plating Methods 

Cyanide is a chemical that is commonly used in traditional gold plating methods, but not in PVD. Cyanide is a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that interferes with the body's ability to use oxygen.

In large doses, the body's ability to change cyanide into thiocyanate is overwhelmed. Large doses of cyanide prevent cells from using oxygen and eventually these cells die. The heart, respiratory system and central nervous system are most susceptible to cyanide poisoning.

Plastics: Causes Hormonal Changes Linked to Infertility, Diabetes, Metabolic disorders, and ADHD. 

Plastics, good ol' plastics. By now I am sure you already know that plastics is not good for the environment, bur are they good for you? Plastics are made from petroleum oil, in other words gasoline. Just like polyester fiber, that we make clothing, furniture, bags, food container, food storage, sunglasses, utensils,  and basically everything you can think of. While a little bit of plastic probably would not have hurt us, being constantly exposed to plastics can seriously mess with our hormones. 

Why? Some plastics contain endocrine disruptors. These are natural or man-made chemicals that may mimic or interfere with the body's hormones, known as the endocrine system. Some of the best known endocrine disruptors are bisphenol-A, commonly called BPA, and flexible vinyl (PVC #3) contains phthalate. 

Research have discovered links between endocrine-disrupting chemicals and:

• Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Infertility, reproduction, pregnancy complications
• Immune responses to vaccines 
• Disrupted metabolism - increasing risk of diabetes and metabolic disorders

People are exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals through diet, air, skin, and water.  Even low doses may be unsafe, since the body’s normal endocrine functioning involves very small changes in hormone levels.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Science "small changes can cause significant developmental and biological effects. This observation leads scientists to think that endocrine-disrupting chemical exposures, even at low amounts, can alter the body’s sensitive systems and lead to health problems."

Sources

• CA Department of Toxic and Substance Control: https://dtsc.ca.gov/toxics-in-products/lead-in-jewelry/  
• CDC/NIOSH (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health).   https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nickel/default.html#:~:text=Nickel%20(Ni)%20is%20a%20hard,harmed%20from%20exposure%20to%20nickel
• National Institute of Environmental Health and Sciences. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm