Vintage and new rhinestone jewelry can be high in lead. Small stones are easy for a child to swallow. We recommend keeping all vintage and antique costume jewelry (and all new costume jewelry made with unknown materials) away from children.
We chose this product to give you an example of a reading from a common type of costume jewelry incorporating lead glass (“crystal”) rhinestones.
Reading on the Rhinestones (multiple materials under scope):
| Element of Interest | Parts per million (ppm) | Error Range |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | 142,604 | +/- 6282 |
| Antimony | 2,093 | +/- 148 |
| Other Elements | +/- | |
| Fe | 150 | +/- 97 |
| Cu | 170,292 | +/- 6,821 |
| Zn | 30,874 | +/- 1,269 |
| Zr | 313 | +/- 32 |
| Nb | 1,482 | +/- 91 |
| Mo | 612 | +/- 74 |
| In | 40 | +/- 19 |
| Sn | 73 | +/- 20 |
All samples were tested in consumer goods TestAll mode using a Niton XL3t 700S for at least 30 seconds. Results are rounded to the nearest whole number. Analyst’s Note: The test is challenging due to the small size of the brooch and the multiple components present. The reading above includes elements from both the crystal rhinestones and the metal they are set in.
Test Summary:
High amounts of lead were detected.
The item tested exceeds the federal lead restrictions for children’s products, which limits products intended for use by children 12 and under to 90-100 parts per million lead.
However, the item is not a new children’s product and is not subject to this regulation.
The product tested at over 1,400 times the maximum amount of lead permitted in the substrate of a children’s product.
The product tested high in antimony. There is no regulatory limit for antimony in consumer goods like this one and the risk of antimony in jewelry is unknown.
No other elements of interest were detected.
We Prefer:
We like necklaces made with semi-precious gemstones and cubic zirconia. Lead-free oexo-tex certified crystal beads are a new product available from Swarovski but we have not had the opportunity to test them yet.
For metal jewelry we prefer stainless steel, tungsten, titanium, or sterling silver. Gold can contain trace mercury or cadmium.
Recommended Brooches:
Disclosure: These are Amazon affiliate links. By shopping for any item on Amazon starting with our links, you help support our business and testing.
Sterling Silver Round Celtic Knot Elegant Weave Brooch Pin
Why we like it: This Celtic brooch is constructed of 925 sterling.
Writing Quill Feather Leaf Pin Brooch Western Jewelry For Women Oxidized .925 Sterling Silver
Why we like it: This pin is made of oxidized sterling silver.
These items have not always been personally tested by us but are likely to be lead free or low lead and/or cadmium based on our research into the materials, discussions with manufacturers, and/or testing on similar products. We recommend items we would use ourselves.
We provide our XRF testing for general educational or informational use only, to help consumers identify low lead and lead-free products. We hereby disclaim any and all warranties, expressed or implied, and assume no duty or responsibility with respect to how any person or entity uses the information on this website.