Poison beadsThousands of deadly bracelets made from toxic plant recalled

Published 6 January 2012

An urgent recall is underway after it was discovered that a bracelet sold in the United Kingdom was actually made from a highly toxic seed; the red and black bracelets were made with the Jequirity bean, the deadly seed from the abrus precatorious plant, which contains the toxin abrin

Necklace made from the highly toxic Jaquirity bean found sold in the U.K. // Source: oliviaoscar.com

An urgent recall is underway after it was discovered that a bracelet sold in the United Kingdom was actually made from a highly toxic seed.

The red and black bracelets were made with the Jequirity bean, the deadly seed from the abrus precatorious plant, which contains the toxin abrin.

Just three micrograms of the toxin, if ingested, is enough to be fatal. Abrin is a controlled substance under the Terrorism Act and related to ricin, but far deadlier.

In West Africa, the Jequirity bean is commonly used in jewelry and in the Obeah religion it is thought to ward off witchcraft.

The bracelets were made by Rainstick Trading, a Peruvian wholesaler, and sold to thirty-six retailers who are all urging consumers to immediately bag the bracelets, wash their hands, and avoid touching their eyes.

Eden Project, a shop in Cornwall, has sold more than 2,800 of the deadly bracelets over the span of a year and is offering refunds for customers.

We’ve identified some of the seeds as potentially dangerous so we have withdrawn the bracelets from sale immediately,” a spokesman for Rainstick Trading said. “We have been advised in an extreme case, if these seeds are chewed or ingested it is very dangerous and potentially lethal.”

Symptoms include acute gastroenteritis with vomiting, diarrhea, shock, and kidney failure.  

So far there have been three recorded cases of U.S. children dying after they swallowed a Jequirity bean as well as several instances of jewelry makers dying after jabbing their fingers with a needle used to bore through the seeds.