Is Your Jewelry Dangerous?

A new study shows that costume jewelry may look good but be bad for youby Seymone KellyWhen it comes to fashion, college students want to look their best. Yet spending thousands of dollars on designer items is probably not an option. Between working part-time, buying books and paying for tuition, it’s best to find a bargain for your buck. With spring time here, a lot of women want to wear jewelry like their idols Rihanna, Beyoncé or Katy Perry.The knock off jewelry that Forever 21, Target, H&M and others sell might look great, but they aren't necessarily good for your health.  A new study done by The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Ecology Center claims "57 percent of the 99 pieces of jewelry it tests contained high levels of toxic components like lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and bromine." These harmful components are linked to birth defects, learning disorders and even cancer. The study mentioned that some of the items that are labeled “lead free” definitely are not.Will the students of CCNY still wear these potentially harmful pieces of jewelry? When 50 students were asked this question, 33 said yes. A lot of their concerns were, "How come nothing like this ever came up before?" "Did the study include jewelry that was over $10 dollars?" or "How soon will these effects happen?"Melissa Mayers-Morris, a CCNY employee, said, "It's hard to buy real jewelry when you have a family, but I know it is even more difficult for students."Even though this is only one study and there will be more done, now is the time for consumers to decide: look fashionable or be healthy?