- Jewellery on Amazon and TikTok Shop found with cadmium levels far above UK legal limits
- A £2.99 ring labeled 925 silver contained 92.3% cadmium, exceeding limits by 9,000 times
- Tibetan Silver charms and earrings from multiple sellers also had dangerously high cadmium
A shocking investigation by The Sunday Times has revealed that cheap "silver" jewellery sold on Amazon and TikTok Shop contains dangerous levels of cadmium, a toxic heavy metal linked to cancer, kidney damage, and bone disease. The media outlet purchased jewellery from both marketplaces and had the items independently tested at the Birmingham Assay Office, which verifies the purity of precious metals. The results were alarming.
On Amazon, a 2.99 pound (Rs 386.93) ring advertised as "925 sterling silver" was found to be 92.3% cadmium, exceeding the UK legal limit by more than 9,000 times. To legally be labelled "925 silver," an item must consist of at least 92.5% pure silver.
A set of charms sold as "Tibetan Silver" and "999 silver" by the seller GuiSaLa contained almost 5,000 times the legal cadmium limit. Similarly, "metal alloy" earrings from TiantechKong also far exceeded safe thresholds. UK regulators had previously flagged Dervivea jewellery, sold via Amazon, for containing cadmium far above the maximum permissible limit.
A similar issue was found on TikTok Shop as well. Charms on a bracelet advertised as 925 silver from the seller Perform Pearls were found to be 33% cadmium, roughly 3,300 times the UK legal limit of 0.01%.
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Why cadmium is dangerous
Cadmium is a silvery-white metal primarily used in rechargeable batteries and industrial coatings. It accumulates in the human body over time, severely damaging internal organs and bones. Cadmium is considered even more hazardous than mercury regarding long-term toxicity. It is classified as a known human carcinogen.
"It's one of the most potent metals to cause toxicity... You should minimize any cadmium exposure. We're avoiding mercury at the moment, aren't we? Mercury is really bad, but cadmium is worse," Christer Hogstrand, a professor of molecular ecotoxicology at King's College London, said as quoted in the report.
"With jewelry, the primary concern is not that every wearer will develop systemic cadmium toxicity, but simply that a toxic metal is present," he added. "The risk escalates significantly if the item is mouthed or swallowed-particularly by a child-or if it is worn against damaged or pierced skin."
Daily exposure can occur if a consumer handles the jewellery and subsequently touches food or their mouth.
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Official responses
As detailed in the report, jewellery industry consultant Jayne Bond ordered the 2.99 pound ring on Amazon that was falsely marked "925 silver". Following the chemical analysis that revealed the item was 92.3% cadmium, Amazon issued a statement.
"We take customer safety seriously, and we're reaching out to Ms Bond regarding her experience," the company said as quoted. "Amazon requires all products offered to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon policies... We're in the process of removing these items after conducting an internal investigation."
Meanwhile, TikTok Shop confirmed that it has banned the offending seller and issued a product recall to all customers who purchased the toxic bracelet.
