GN Diamond: Where great prices lead to true partnerships. The diamond source that thousands of jewelers trust.
The BBC reported yesterday:
Jewelry advertised as sterling silver on Amazon, eBay, Temu, Etsy and OnBuy was found to contain toxic chemicals ….
Some 25 items were examined by experts for BBC Watchdog on The One Show. Laboratory analysis found eight contained illegal levels of cadmium – a chemical that can cause cancer. Only two items could be classified as sterling silver.
It said that “of the eight items found to have breached cadmium limits: three were purchased from Amazon, three from Temu, and one from each of OnBuy and Etsy.”
Cadmium is, of course, bad stuff:
Cadmium is a carcinogen associated particularly with lung cancer, says Rob Chilcott, a retired professor of toxicology.
It poses a risk to humans if it is inhaled or ingested. For example, an earring falling into food that you then eat.
“If you put something containing cadmium in your mouth, or indeed if you swallow it, that is really bad news,” he says.
So what do the platforms say?
According to BBC, Temu said it was testing similar products to identify potential risks. Amazon and OnBay have issued recall notices for the products that were said to be unsafe. And Etsy did not respond.
-
This is the second time recently that the U.K. press has found dangerous amounts of cadmium in silver jewelry sold online. In July, The Independent found similar issues in jewelry it purchased.
Pandora delivered 6% organic growth in the third quarter of 2026, with U.S. comps rising 3%.
“Pandora’s growth engine is re-energizing,” said CEO Berta de Pablos-Barbier in a statement. “More distinctive designs and culturally relevant marketing are driving brand heat.”
Among the notable points in its financial results and subsequent earnings call:
-
Pandora said its initial pilot of platinum-plated jewelry, which the company launched in response to high silver prices, have been delivering “encouraging results” in the Netherlands. It now intends to bring the product to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
-
In addition, “yellow gold-plated [product] continues to grow,.” said de Pablos-Barbier. “Today, it is about 25% of our business.”
-
Despite the ongoing popularity of lab-grown diamonds, Pandora has not been able to capitalize on the trend. Lab-grown comp sales fell 14% during the quarter, and still represent less than 1% of Pandora’s revenue.
-
De Pablos-Barbier said Pandora has been doing consumer research around what makes Pandora distinctive and what role it can play in consumers’ lives. ”[We found] jewelry is no longer just about adornment or status,” she said. “Our research revealed a strong appetite for jewelry that can be personalized, layered, and added on over time.”
Pandora’s CEO discussed the results in a video here.
-
Alan Cohen, a veteran salesperson who has worked for ODI/Tache and Pure Grown Diamonds, has been named president of Shinebright/Dynamic Designs, where he will oversee lines of lab-grown and natural diamond jewelry. “It’s been 47 years in the industry, and I’m still lovin’ it,” Cohen tells The Jewelry Wire.
-
Garrett Jordon has joined ODI as vice president of business development, according to LinkedIn. He has formerly worked for Horology Republic Media and RDI Diamonds.
Well-respected jeweler M. Lemp Jewelers is closing after 136 years in Syracuse, N.Y., the company announced on Facebook. Don Lemp was the fourth generation of his family to run the store, but says he couldn’t find a successor. The company’s now running a going-out-of-business sale.
Victoria Gomelsky and I talk with Ring Concierge CEO Nicole Wegman about how she grew her business, selling both natural and lab, artificial intelligence, and how the industry can best talk to millennials.
It appears that the YouTube link I put out for the New York Times’ TraxNYC podcast didn’t work yesterday. The one below one, hopefully, should:
Today’s jewelry links cover GIA, Petra Diamonds, Namdeb, Gem Diamonds, Vogue, Argyle, Giva, Smyth Jewelers, Tory’s Jewelry, The World Gold Council, Target, Walmart, “The Gilded Age,” Alexis Bittar, Nicolas Chrétien, and Zara Tindall