Safety and California Prop 65 Warning

Almost all fishing gear comes with a Prop 65 warning for sale in California, and because I use real lures that are repurposed, that means, so do my lure necklaces.

I have confirmed with Rapala that the metal in the lures is Nickel (not Lead), but other than that, they could not confirm the exact chemicals that require the Prop 65 Warning. It's also important to note that there are no legal implications for labeling items that do not necessitate a warning, so many fishing products are labeled with excessive caution.

I have also tested the lures and metal components for lead many times and they have always returned NEGATIVE.

I personally have been wearing my lure necklaces for years with sensitive skin and have never had an issue, as the lure is made from balsa wood and plastic. However, please note that you're wearing this jewelry at your own risk.

Most of the beading/jewelry industry provides products that fall under California Prop 65 guidelines. While the Proposition 65 list is extremely long with around 1000 chemicals, there are 3 major chemicals that have been associated with jewelry and jewelry making tools. www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

1.) The first chemical is lead. Prop 65 reflects 3 classes of components when addressing lead.

CLASS 1 COMPONENTS (No warning needed.)

  • Stainless and surgical steels
  • Karat gold
  • Sterling silver
  • Platinum, palladium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium ("platinum group metals")
  • Natural and cultured pearls
  • Glass, ceramic, and crystal decorative components (e.g., cat's eye, cubic zirconia somtimes called cubic zirconium, CZ), glass, rhinestones, cloisonne)
  • Any gemstone that is cut and polished for ornamental purposes except the following:
    aragonite, bayldonite, boleite, cerussite, crocoite, ekanite, linarite, mimetite, phosgenite, samarskite, vanadinite, and wulfenite.
  • Elastic, fabric, ribbon, rope, and string with no intentional lead and not otherwise listed as a Class 2 component.
  • Natural decorative materials (e.g., amber, bone, coral, feathers, fur, horn, leather, shell, wood) that are in their natural state or are treated in a way that does not add lead.
  • Adhesive

CLASS 2 COMPONENTS (No warning needed when within listed content limits.)

  • Metal substrates that are electroplated:
    Metal alloys with less than 10 percent lead by weight ("88 metal") that are electroplated with suitable under and finish coats and that are plated utilizing the Best Management Practices described in Exhibit C. For Covered Products shipped by a Settling Defendant t hat is a Supplier after December 31, 2008 to a third party for retail sale in California, and for products sold or offered for retail sale in California by a Settling Defendant after August 31, 2009, this standard shall be a metal alloys with less than 6 percent lead by weight ("92 metal") that are electroplated with suitable under and finish coats and that are plated utilizing the Best Management Practices described in Exhibit C.
  • Unplated metal not defined as Class 1 Components:
    1.5%
  • Metal (plated and unplated) used in children's products:
    0.06% (600ppm)
  • Plastic/Rubber (e.g., acrylic, polystyrene, plastic beads/stones, polyvinyl chloride(PVC)):
    0.06% (600ppm). For Covered Products shipped by a Settling Defendant that is a Supplier after December 31, 2008 to a third party for retail sale in California, and for products sold or offered for retail sale in California by a Settling Defendant after August 31, 2009, this standard shall be no more than 0.02 percent (200 ppm) lead by weight.
  • Dyes, and Surface Coatings:
    0.06% (600ppm)
  • Glass and crystal decorative components used in children's products:
    No more than 1.0 grams total glass or decorative crystal components

CLASS 3 COMPONENTS (No warning needed when within these limits.)

  • Class 3 Components shall contain no more than 0.06% lead. Class 3 Components used in children's products shall contain no more than 0.02% lead.

Swarovski Crystal and Lead Content
In September 2012, Swarovski modified their manufacturing process to offer the same brilliant cuts and sparkle but with less lead. Since then, their crystals are over 99% lead free, containing 0.009% lead or less and allows them to be considered lead free in the industry. 

2.) The second primary Proposition 65 chemical is cadmium. Prop 65 limits for cadmium (surface and substrate) are 300 ppm.

3.) Lastly, Prop 65 addresses phthalate usage in the plastic handles of hand tools, vinyl and synthetic leather products:
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP") also known as Di-octyl phthalate (DOP) 1000 ppm
Butyl benzyl phthalate ("BBP")1000 ppm
Di-n-butyl phthalate ("DBP") 1000 ppm

To comply with California law, items sold on Eyes Up Here Studio that include a Prop 65 warning contain 1 or more chemicals known to the state of California as harmful at certain exposure levels. Due to variations in manufacturing, production batches, and access to testing data, we have included this warning on certain products regardless of exposure level which may fall within or below industry limits. For more information about Prop 65, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.