Cat's Eye Beads...a NO NO for Children's Jewelry!

***Please note this information is based on our own personal testing by an accredited third-party laboratory approved and recommended by the Consumer Product Safety Commission website***

I've searched high and low on information regarding the lead content in cat's eye beads...and to no avail.

For the most part, I gathered information that they posed no harm, that the lead content was exempt and non-hazardous. Regardless, we wanted Fairy Tale Jewels to be in compliance with the CPSC, so we went ahead and contacted our supplier. We actually spoke with the owner and were assured that certificates were on hand and that although cat's eye beads did in fact contain lead, it was such a small amount, it would account for much of anything.

Since cat's eye beads were not on the acceptable components list approved by the CPSC, we knew we had to go ahead and have them tested. No big deal (so we thought)....I mean, we had already spoken with the owner of our supplier who had assured us that they were in compliance. They even had certificates that showed they were in compliance.

Our initial thought was, "Awesome! We can go ahead and send off our our samples, get our certificates and carry on!" We sent of three samples of 6mm cat's eye beads in hot pink, carribean blue and tanzanite. Two weeks later we received the reports and were shocked to see they tested over the 300 ppm.....they tested close to or over 600 ppms! Way over the ppms the supplier had told us!

So, it goes to show, you cannot go off of a supplier's word as to which components are acceptable. Regardless, you are responsible for holding certificates of such components if they are not listed on the acceptable components list provided by the CPSC.

Yes, suppliers may provide you with certificates showing their supplies meet the CPSC standards, but that does NOT eliminate you from having the components tested with your business name. You must hold third-party testing certificates REGARDLESS!

Want to be safe? Any items that are not .925 sterling silver, gemstones or freshwater pearls....have them TESTED!