Does pewter made today still contain lead?
The pewter beads and findings we carry contain an alloy composed of 92% tin, 7% antimony and % copper. Tin is refined from ore that contains other metals, including lead. A chemical process is used to remove the lead, but trace amounts still remain. The casting alloy is routinely tested for lead content, yielding results ranging from 179 to 300 parts per million (PPM). This is well below the Food and Drug Administration’s standard of 500 PPM deemed safe for pewter used for culinary purposes in contact with food. Although all pewter contains trace amounts of lead, the term “lead-free pewter” is sometimes used to describe pewter that meets the stringent FDA standard.
