Jewelry manufacturers were using asbestos to a moderate extent during the last century, which now places former workers at a considerable risk of developing a terrible disease such as lung cancer or mesothelioma as a consequence of exposure. Workers would employ wet asbestos fibers to keep together the components before soldering the pieces. Additionally, asbestos was also present in the jewelry itself, namely in gemstones. However, this poses a very small risk to the wearer, as the amount of asbestos in gemstones is low. The process of cutting, shaping and polishing jewelry, known as lapidary, would release significant amounts of asbestos fibers in the air, which workers would unknowingly inhale and ingest. Another way jewelry manufacturers were exposed to asbestos is by cutting asbestos sheets to line casting molds which were baked in the oven to make jewelry.
Relevant job titles
- goldsmith
- mounter
- setter
- production jeweler
- craftsperson
- prong
Asbestos-related cancer eligible for filing a claim
If you developed one of the following cancers as a result of occupational exposure, you are eligible for compensation. If you are too ill, a family member can help you with the legal process. In the unfortunate event that you pass away before recovering compensation, your surviving family members will receive compensation on your behalf.
If, however, you struggle with non-cancerous pleural diseases such as asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural plaques, pleural effusion, diffuse pleural thickening, COPD (emphysema & chronic bronchitis), pleurisy, lung nodules, lung spots, asthma, pneumonitis, tuberculosis, rounded atelectasis or lung scarring, please seek a second or even a third opinion as the rate of misdiagnosis is very high among the victims of asbestos exposure.
