The China Syndrome

Is there any retailer more associated with quality than New York’s Tiffany & Co.? Probably not — and that status is unlikely to be affected by Tiffany’s announcement of a voluntary recall for a line of hand-painted china with a lead content that apparently exceeds federal levels. Sleuths from the private watchdog group Environmental Defense Fund turned up the excessive lead levels and confronted Tiffany with the data. The luxury store agreed to withdraw its Private Stock line. Patrons who acquired the tainted china can return it for credit against future wildly expensive purchases.