Turtle Beads

Every week at work we have vendors selling jewelry, purses, pictures, clothes etc.  I found a very cool turtle bracelet and thought I would take the bracelet apart and use the turtles in some art projects.  I bought the turtle bracelet and put it on right away.  The lady said she goes to China twice a year to pick up stuff.  I started smelling fumes coming from the bracelet.  I thought I was nuts.  I put it in a plastic bag and brought it home where it spent several days in the sun.  It still smelled.  I then put it in bleach and water for a week.  That did it.  It must have been sprayed or dipped in some kind of sealant.  Now I have a whole bunch of bleached turtles to work into my art projects.