By Salma El-Sakka
A BBC Watchdog investigation has found that jewelry advertised as sterling silver and sold on major online platforms contains illegal levels of cadmium, a toxic heavy metal classified as a category one carcinogen by the UK Health Security Agency.
Investigation details
The BBC purchased 25 pieces of jewelry, priced between £1.55 and £1.99, from Amazon, eBay, Temu, Etsy, and OnBuy. Expert analysis revealed that eight items breached the legal cadmium limit of 0.01 per cent, with some containing up to 10 per cent. Only two pieces met the sterling silver standard. The contaminated items included three from Amazon, three from Temu, and one each from OnBuy and Etsy.
Retailer responses
Amazon said it had contacted affected customers, removed the products, and offered refunds, emphasizing that all sellers must comply with UK law and REACH requirements. Temu stated the products were removed through its monitoring before the BBC inquiry and that it has arranged independent laboratory testing. eBay asserted that none of the listings it sold contained illegal cadmium levels but removed the flagged listings and reminded sellers of their obligations.
Consumer case
In a separate case, a consumer who bought a necklace advertised as handmade sterling silver on Etsy experienced skin irritation. Testing showed traces of nickel, with one part of the chain reaching an 11 per cent nickel concentration.
Hallmarking standards
Genuine sterling silver must contain 92.5 per cent pure silver and be independently assayed by a UK Assay Office, which verifies metal content using X-ray fluorescence before applying hallmarks such as the sponsor's mark, fineness mark, and assay office mark.
