Los Angeles firm fined for selling lead-tainted jewelry

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles company that sold jewelry for children that contained dangerous levels of toxic lead and cadmium has been fined $1.6 million.

State officials on Tuesday said a judge approved the judgment this month against Luxy Accessory and its owner, Hyun Sook Kim.

The Department of Toxic Substances says Luxy sold jewelry, including some for children, with excessive lead and cadmium levels. One pendant was found to be 80 percent lead.

Some items were labelled “lead free.”

Luxy was one of several companies sued by the state attorney general’s office six years ago for selling tainted jewelry.

But authorities say repeated inspections showed Luxy continued to sell tainted jewelry until it was quarantined last year.

The company has no working phone number and couldn’t be reached Tuesday.