Toxic ring returns to Amazon

Jewelry consultant Jayne Bond discovered a ring with the same design as one previously exposed for containing dangerous cadmium levels was back on Amazon, sold by a different seller.

“This is an utter joke”

The ring's false claim

The three pound thirty-nine pence ring was advertised as nine twenty-five sterling silver, meaning it should contain ninety-two point five percent silver. Bond's testing detected cadmium instead.

Previous investigation findings

The Sunday Times found a ring on Amazon advertised as nine twenty-five silver was ninety-two point three percent cadmium, more than nine thousand times the U.K. legal limit of zero point zero one percent.

Cadmium's health risks

Cadmium is a heavy metal known to cause cancer. Long-term exposure can damage kidneys and weaken bones, though very little is absorbed through skin. Ingestion and inhalation pose greater risks.

The price makes no sense

Bond noted the three pound thirty-nine pence price should have raised red flags. Silver was roughly three hundred times more expensive than cadmium by weight, making genuine sterling silver impossible at that cost.

U.S. rules are weaker

The U.S.has no mandatory federal safety requirements specifically for jewelry.Some states set cadmium limits, but rules vary.

Amazon's responsibility question

The discovery raises whether online marketplaces verify materials from third-party sellers, especially when similar products have been flagged for toxins and prices suggest fraud.

Amazon's legal battle

Amazon has long argued it is merely a logistics provider, not responsible for third-party products.In twenty twenty-four, the CPSC ruled Amazon was legally responsible for recalling over four hundred thousand hazardous products.

Amazon's response

Amazon told Fortune the ring Bond identified in September has been removed from its marketplace. The company said all products must comply with applicable laws and policies, and it strictly prohibits false marketing claims.

“We take customer safety very seriously”