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California Prop 65 California PROP 65 WARNING
Consuming foods or beverages that have been kept or served in leaded crystal products or handling products made of leaded crystal will expose you to lead - a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Swarovski crystal, as all leaded crystal beads, stemware, etc. contains lead.*
No products carred by The Red Bead are considered suitable for small children since, among other things, they are small parts and may present a choking hazard.
Swarovski Overview Statement on Lead Content 10/16/08
Recently, there has been an increased regulatory focus on potential human exposure to lead from various consumer products, including jewelry. We hope that our customers will find this overview of current requirements applicable to lead in jewelry and other products useful. Recognizing that the regulatory landscape is rapidly changing, however, it remains the responsibility of our business customers to assure that their use of crystal in jewelry and other products is consistent with all applicable requirements.
How is lead in crystal different from lead in other products? Crystal has unique properties. The crystal manufacturing process creates a matrix, which inhibits the mobility of lead. Because of this structure, lead crystal poses no significant risk of excessive lead exposure to human health via surface contact (hand to mouth), mouthing or even ingestion. By contrast, lead in other materials that might be used in jewelry, such as coatings, metal or plastic, may be accessible to consumers. That is why some regulatory bodies, like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), have focused on children’s metal jewelry and surface coatings, and not crystal.
Has crystal been tested to assess the potential for lead exposure? Swarovski crystals have been tested under a variety of test methods for extractable lead, including the CPSC’s Standard Operating Procedure for Determining Lead (Pb) and Its Availability in Children’s Metal Jewelry, ASTM F963-03 (the standard on accessible lead in toys), and EN 71/3 (the European standard for lead in toys). Test conditions and procedures do vary, but lead levels are well below regulatory limits even when the crystal is tested in an acid solution to maximize the release of lead.
What are the current national limits applicable to lead in crystal jewelry? The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 was signed into law by President Bush on August 14, 2008. According to this law, the age of a child has been defined as 12 and under. All products for a child are required to have less than 600ppm lead by February 10, 2009 and the limit progressively decreases to 300ppm within 1 year and 100ppm within 3 years, if feasible. The CPSC does not have any restrictions on the use of crystal in adult jewelry; therefore, this would only be relevant to products intended for children as defined above.
Do state limits apply to crystal jewelry? The CPSIA includes language that prevents states from passing their own lead limits on children’s products. The states that had legislation in place prior to the Federal Act passing will now defer to the national standard. Certain states that have legislation referencing lead in adult products would not be affected by the CPSIA.
What is Swarovski doing? Swarovski will try to keep you informed of actions that affect your use of our products. Recognizing that the regulatory landscape changes often, it remains the responsibility of our business customers to assure that their use of crystal in jewelry and other products is consistent with all applicable requirements.
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