British jewellery consultant Jayne Bond has raised fresh concerns about a ring sold on Amazon for £3.39. Offered by a different seller, it had the same design as a ring previously found to contain dangerous levels of cadmium. The new listing described it as sterling silver, meaning it should contain 92.5% silver. However, Bond said her initial tests detected cadmium, a metal known to cause cancer.
The earlier ring contained an estimated 92.3% cadmium, more than 9,000 times the UK's legal jewellery limit of 0.01%. Amazon says it has removed the latest listing. Bond also argued that the low price should have raised concerns about whether the ring was really silver.
Long-term exposure to cadmium can damage the kidneys and weaken bones. However, the risk depends on how it enters the body: very little passes through the skin, while swallowing or breathing it in poses greater risks. Amazon says products must meet applicable laws and its own policies. Its rules also require jewellery sellers to describe their goods accurately and maintain quality checks.
