Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This article reports findings from the EU’s REF-12 project, revealing that a significant portion of inspected costume jewelry in Luxembourg contains prohibited levels of lead, cadmium, and nickel.
Published
29 January 2026, 21:32
In Luxembourg:
A total of 161 items were inspected by authorities. Fourteen contained lead and eight contained cadmium above the permitted limit. The nickel release limit was exceeded in 87 cases.
Freepik – Illustration
The Environment Administration participated, “in close collaboration” with the Customs and Excise Administration, in the EU community project “REACH-EN-FORCE-12” (REF-12) concerning the compliance of imported articles, substances, and mixtures.
Several metals are particularly monitored because they pose known health risks. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified them according to their danger. Cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and some of their compounds are recognized as carcinogenic to humans. Inorganic lead and metallic nickel are “probable carcinogens.”
In 29 countries of the European Economic Area, inspectors conducted a total of 2,603 targeted checks to verify the compliance of imports with the registration, restriction, and authorization requirements of EU chemicals regulation under REACH, the authorities concluded.
Do you pay attention to the composition of the costume jewelry you buy?
– Yes, I try to check the materials.
– No, I never think about it.
– I rarely buy costume jewelry.
– I didn’t know it was a problem.
– I just want to see the results.
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