A low price and a 925 stamp don’t prove a piece is sterling silver, or that it is safe. In July, Britain’s Sunday Times had jewelry from Amazon and TikTok Shop tested and found a ring sold as “925 silver” that was about 92 percent cadmium, a toxic metal, and bracelet charms that were about a third cadmium. In October, Fortune found a similar ring listed on Amazon’s US site for $4.99. The usual fake is plated brass, which costs you money rather than health; cadmium is the worse case, and no federal rule limits it in adult jewelry. Here is what the tests found, how much risk cadmium carries, and the checks that catch a fake, including the popular one that doesn’t.
Key takeaways
- A 925 stamp proves nothing on its own. A ring sold as “925 silver” tested at about 92 percent cadmium.
- Children are most at risk. Little cadmium passes through skin, but it is a known human carcinogen, and children put jewelry in their mouths.
- The magnet test won’t catch it. Cadmium isn’t magnetic; price per gram, density, and an XRF scan will.
- Check the price against the silver. At $50 an ounce, sterling holds about $1.49 of silver per gram; a piece priced near that is a red flag.
- Buy from sellers who name the metal, the weight, and the maker, and return anything that fails a check.
In this guide What was found The risk US rules The checks Listing words If you bought one FAQ
What the tests found
The story began in Britain. The Sunday Times bought jewelry on Amazon and TikTok Shop and sent it to the Birmingham Assay Office for testing, JCK reported on July 20. A ring marketed on Amazon as “925 silver” was estimated at 92.3 percent cadmium, more than 9,000 times the UK limit of 0.01 percent. Charms on a TikTok Shop bracelet advertised as 925 silver were about 33 percent cadmium, and “Tibetan silver” charms and “silver-colored alloy” earrings sold on Amazon were also over the limit.
Amazon said it removed the products after an internal review, and TikTok Shop recalled the bracelet and removed the seller. On October 16, Fortune reported a British jewelry consultant’s warning that the ring was back on sale under a new seller, and found a similar ring on Amazon’s US site for $4.99. Fortune said it had not tested that ring, so no one has shown that the US listing contains cadmium. The point is that listings like it are easy to find.
How dangerous is cadmium in jewelry?
Cadmium and its compounds are known human carcinogens, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, and long-term exposure can damage the kidneys and weaken bones, Fortune notes, citing the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. How much reaches you depends on how you are exposed. Very little cadmium is absorbed through the skin; swallowing it, or breathing in its dust, is far more dangerous. That makes children the group most at risk, because they put jewelry in their mouths, and the Sunday Times report noted that earrings worn in pierced skin may be a greater concern than other pieces.
For a man wearing a ring or a chain, the bigger loss is usually the money. Still, a piece that tests as cadmium shouldn’t be worn, given to a child, or left where children can reach it.
What US rules cover it
- The sterling claim. Under the FTC’s Jewelry Guides, it is deceptive to call a piece sterling unless it is at least 92.5 percent silver, so a cadmium ring sold as 925 is mislabeled, whatever its other risks. Our guide to what 925 means covers the rules.
- Adult jewelry. There are no mandatory federal safety requirements specifically for jewelry, Fortune notes; children’s jewelry has to meet federal lead limits.
- State limits. Minnesota bars jewelry with more than 0.0075 percent cadmium by weight, and its law lists jewelry without an age limit, according to the testing firm Intertek. California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, and Washington restrict cadmium in children’s jewelry.
The checks that catch a cadmium fake
- Price per gram. Sterling can’t sell for less than the silver in it. At $50 an ounce, a gram of sterling holds about $1.49 of silver, so a 2.5 g ring holds about $3.70 before anyone is paid for the making, the shipping, or a profit. A “sterling” ring of that weight for $4.99 leaves about $1.30 for all of that, a red flag on its own. Our guide to what sterling silver is worth has the formula.
- Density. Sterling is about 10.4 g/cm³; cadmium is about 8.65. Weigh the piece dry and then in water, as our real-or-fake guide shows. A result well under 10 means it isn’t sterling.
- XRF scan. A jeweler, pawn shop, or bullion dealer can scan a piece in seconds without damaging it, and the reading shows which metals are present, cadmium included. It is often free or a few dollars, as our guide to professional tests explains.
- Ice test. Silver conducts heat far better than cadmium, so an ice cube melts fast on sterling and more slowly on a fake. It is a useful hint, not proof.
- The stamp. Look for 925 with a maker’s mark beside it, which US law requires on stamped sterling. A fake can carry both, so treat the stamp as a first filter.
- Not the magnet. Cadmium isn’t magnetic, so a cadmium ring passes the magnet test just as sterling does. And don’t file or scratch a suspect piece yourself: that makes dust, and breathing cadmium in is far riskier than wearing it.
Listing words that mean little or no silver
- “Tibetan silver.” A trade name for a base-metal alloy that looks like silver. The Tibetan silver charms in the Sunday Times tests were over the cadmium limit.
- “Silver-tone,” “silver color,” “silver-colored alloy.” These describe the color, not the metal.
- “German silver” or “nickel silver.” Copper, nickel, and zinc, with no silver at all; our guide to German silver explains the name.
- “Silver-plated” or “925 plated.” A thin silver layer over brass or copper, as our guide to plating labels shows.
If you already bought a piece like this
- Keep it away from children, and stop wearing it until you know what it is.
- Get it scanned. An XRF reading settles the question in a minute.
- Ask for a refund as not as described. A piece sold as sterling that isn’t sterling was mislabeled, whatever it is made of.
- Report it. The Consumer Product Safety Commission takes reports of unsafe products at SaferProducts.gov, and the FTC takes reports of false advertising at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
FAQ
Is cheap sterling silver on Amazon real?
Some is and some isn’t. A 925 stamp and a “sterling” listing are the seller’s claims, and in July a ring sold on Amazon as 925 silver tested at about 92 percent cadmium. Check the price per gram, buy from sellers who name the maker and the weight, and test anything that seems too cheap.
Can cadmium in jewelry harm you through your skin?
Very little cadmium is absorbed through the skin, so wearing a piece is a much smaller risk than swallowing it or breathing its dust. Children who put jewelry in their mouths are most at risk.
Does the magnet test detect cadmium?
No. Cadmium isn’t magnetic, so a cadmium ring passes the magnet test just as sterling does. Price per gram, density, and an XRF scan are the checks that catch it.
Is cadmium in jewelry illegal in the US?
There is no federal limit for adult jewelry. Minnesota limits cadmium in jewelry to 0.0075 percent, and several states limit it in children’s jewelry. Selling a cadmium piece as sterling is deceptive under the FTC’s rules either way.
How can I find out if my jewelry contains cadmium?
Ask a jeweler, pawn shop, or bullion dealer for an XRF scan. It reads the metals in the piece without damaging it.
Is Tibetan silver real silver?
Usually not. It is a trade name for a base-metal alloy that looks like silver, and charms sold as Tibetan silver were among the pieces that failed the Sunday Times’s cadmium tests.
Bottom line
A 925 stamp on a $5 ring is a claim, not proof. Real sterling is never priced below the silver it holds, about $1.49 a gram at $50 silver; it is dense, and it reads as silver on an XRF scan. Skip the magnet test, check the price per gram and the seller, and keep anything doubtful away from children until it has been tested.
From the collection
Men’s sterling silver rings by Ronatelli
Eleven handmade 925 rings, $129 to $169, from a chain-link band to a black onyx statement ring. Every one is adjustable.
Related guides
This article is general information, not medical or legal advice. The test results and company responses follow JCK’s report of the Sunday Times investigation; the US listing, health effects, federal rules, and state limits follow Fortune’s October 16 report; Minnesota’s law follows Intertek; and the sterling standard follows the FTC’s Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR Part 23. Densities are standard reference values, and the price per gram uses the melt value formula from our guide to what sterling silver is worth, at an example price of $50 an ounce. All were checked on October 30, 2026. Read our editorial policy.
