British jewelry consultant Jayne Bond raised a new safety concern after finding a £3.39 ring on Amazon. It was advertised as sterling silver, which should contain 92.5% silver. However, Bond said her initial tests detected cadmium, a toxic metal known to cause cancer. She shared her warning in September, and Amazon said it later removed the listing.
The ring had the same design as one examined during an earlier investigation, but a different seller was offering it. The earlier ring contained an estimated 92.3% cadmium—more than 9,000 times the UK's legal limit of 0.01% for jewelry. Amazon had said in July that it was removing affected products. Bond also questioned the low price, arguing that genuine silver jewelry must cover not only the metal but also production, shipping, and other costs.
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; swallowing it or breathing it in poses greater risks.
