Its fine to say which vendors you feel comfortable with. You can even start a new thread and ask people. I just want to keep specific items for sale off of this tribe so it doesn't end up ONLY being items offered for sale.

(needless to say, we don't do business with the latter group..)

I've come somewhat to the same conclusion (about the dangers of lead for adults). After researching this on-line, it appears that most of the dangers affect children and ingesting products containing lead. Only 1% of lead is absorbed through the skin. From this article: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdalead.html

"While adults absorb about 11 percent of lead reaching the digestive tract, children may absorb 30 to 75 percent. When lead is inhaled, up to 50 percent is absorbed, but less than 1 percent of lead is absorbed when it comes in contact with the skin."

I think it is dangerous if you have young children that might chew on your jewelry, you are pregnant, or inserting jewelry into an open wound (not quite healed piercings...?). Since I do not wear my jewelry for extended periods of time, I'm not too concerned about bracelets, necklaces, etc. The earrings are a little different. My ears are stretched and I'd like to keep them protected. So I just stretched a little larger than my earrings so I can wear through tunnels. Then I don't have to worry about it.