Buyer wants me to test piece of jewellery for lead???

[wyntersemporium]

Having a problem with a buyer she bought a piece of costume jewellery from me. I’ve sold 250 of the necklaces. Never been asked once to test an item, which is £3.99. 

The item in question has already been sent via collection from my house via postie. 

And now she’s asking I should test all my Jewellery before putting them on eBay. 
As she’s noticed that in the listing it says base metal Tibetan silver. 

[lucy_farmer]

Does she mean test it for lead content?

(There is a legal limit for lead content in jewellery; it's about 0.05% of the weight of the item)

No idea how you'd go about testing that though....?

[theelench]

It seems like an odd request.  Is there such a thing as an allergy to lead when worn?

Could it be that silver can be contaminated by lead?  I vaguely remember from reading about Roman silver mining operations in Spain and Britain that the same mines produced both silver for coinage and lead for making water pipes!

[moldosgifts]

Tibetan silver is an alloy of copper and either nickel or tin, More than a decade ago it did contain silver but only in small amounts 35% at best.

925 silver can contain lead but at trace amounts certainly less than the 5% legal limit,

Metal can be tested using an XRF analysis portable tester, VERY expensive for costume jewellery and a one time use, if you have pawn broker then it would be useful but not for general testing a one off piece.

Silver ore itself contains lead and copper so it is only natural you also find those elements in silver jewellery,

TIBETAN SILVER is not actually silver but does contain copper which is also found in silver ore,

If it just metal i have found seller stating it is Tibetan silver when it isn't even that, it is called Tibetan silver that because it has look of aged silver. 

I sell allot of silver finding and have an XRF analyser, so you could say I'm a bit of a nerd.

[moldosgifts]

The ore itself contains more lead than actual silver. nerdy fact for you 😀

[dancewithadingo · Accepted solution]

Good Morning Wynter

A somewhat unusual situation that you find yourself in.  My advice would be to respond by saying that you have not tested it for lead as she is the first buyer to raise this valuable point, but you will take up her suggestion on future sales.  In the meantime if she is unhappy with her purchase in anyway, including the possibility that it may contain lead then please simply return it for a full refund.

[jonat_broad]

Jewellery would need to comply with REACH compliance.

the manufacturer or importer should have it tested normally, though if you are neither and you can’t get information on testing then you’d need to get a sample tested yourself.

https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/product-safety/jewellery-safety-metal-content

[jonat_broad]

While it’s not something that is normally requested, the jewellery would need to compl.y with REACH regulations.

[wintersdawn1]

My advice:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/bmgt/BuyerBlock

[wyntersemporium]

On my way to do that. Never have I had that before except only once as buy from a UK seller. A woman said she was allergic to it and that was actually Sterling Silver ring I sold her. 

[wyntersemporium]

Just looked where I bought them from and they’re 

Zinc Alloy Rhodium Plated

[jonat_broad]

it absolutely should be tested for REACH compliance on importing into the EU/UK by virtue of it being an alloy.

If your supplier cannot provide it - its on you as the seller.