Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** Europe faces a growing safety alert as an increasing number of costume jewelry pieces are found to contain hazardous heavy metals like cadmium, lead, and nickel, posing health risks such as allergic reactions.
Europe is on alert over the rising number of jewelry pieces that fail to meet safety standards, including metals that can pose health risks. Hundreds of cases are circulating across the European Union.
Bracelets, earrings, necklaces with a ‘surprise’. The number of jewelry pieces (mostly costume jewelry) containing heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, or nickel is growing and growing. These substances, once they enter the body, can cause allergic reactions, digestive poisoning, and even serious kidney problems, doctors point out regarding their rise.
The issue of ‘fake’ jewelry appears in the Romanian press, which reports an “alarming” number of pieces on the market that do not meet basic safety standards. In just one of the European alert applications, more than 170 cases have been published across the European Union.
Among the alerts, there is a variety, mainly imitations of materials like silver. This is the case with pieces originating from Sweden that are on the market in several countries and actually contain lead, not silver. Both this metal and cadmium are common resources among low-end producers to reduce costs or even in counterfeits. Cadmium is used for soldering and lead to add weight, aiming to increase their perceived value.