mymommysbracelets.com and Lead Content

mymommysbracelets.com prides itself not only on the opportunity to provide customers with beautiful keepsake jewelry, but to provide a safe product for your child.

In recent years, lead products and lead poisoning have become hot topics. For this reason, mymommysbracelets.com does not use components or beads made from unknown metals. To ensure safety, I only use genuine sterling silver components and beads in our designs. (By definition, sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.)

Additionally, mymommysbracelets.com stays on the forefront of lead information by maintaining open and continued communication with legislative officials and major manufacturers, such as Swarovski. My decision to use Swarovski crystals in jewelry designs has been researched thoroughly. Swarovski crystal beads are known as "leaded crystal beads", because of their higher lead content. An official statement released to the public on the safeness of Swarovski beads is:

�Recently, there has been an increased regulatory focus on potential human exposure to lead from various consumer products, including jewellery. Crystal has unique properties. The crystal manufacturing process creates a matrix which inhibits the mobility of lead. In other words, lead is bound into the structure of the crystal. Because of this structure, lead crystal poses no significant risk of excessive lead exposure to human health via surface contact (hand to mouth), mouthing or even ingestion. Indeed, Swarovski crystals have been tested under a variety of test methods for extractable lead. Test conditions and procedures do vary, but lead levels are well below regulatory limits even when the crystal is tested in an acid solution to maximize the release of lead.

Most authorities considering lead in crystal have concluded that limits on total lead should not apply to crystal. In 2006, for example, the California Attorney General settled a lawsuit brought in the state alleging exposure to lead from jewellery. The court-approved settlement agreement, as well as the later legislatively enacted Californian AB 1681, established limits for lead in metals and several other components, with stricter standards for jewellery intended for children 6 and younger. Significantly, in recognition of the limited risk of availability of lead from crystal, the settlement agreement as well as California AB 1681 allows the continued use of crystal without limitation in jewellery not intended for children. For children 6 or younger, up to 1 gram of crystal may be used in such jewellery. These same standards were adopted in the state of Minnesota. Similar bills are pending in other states, but some states are considering or have adopted new limits on lead that do not include an exemption for crystal.

Therefore you are in no danger in touching crystals. This is also the reason that there are no specific recommendations about touching or using crystal, however, we do not recommend that crystals are put in the mouth, swallowed, choked on or inhaled under any circumstances, or are used as children's toys due to the small parts hazard.�

To learn more about Swarovski crystals please visit their website at www.swarovski.com.

As always the decision is left up to my customers whether you would like your jewelry made with Swarovski crystals or lead free Czech glass beads.