Washington ? More than a half-million pieces of Chinese-made children’s jewelry contaminated with lead are being recalled, officials announced Wednesday.

The recalled merchandise involves:

¢ 205,000 pieces sold by Family Dollar Stores Inc.

¢ 200,000 pieces sold by Michaels Stores Inc.

¢ 43,000 charm bracelets and tack pin sets sold by Big Lots Inc.

¢ 45,000 stretchable bracelets imported by Cherrydale Fundraising LLC.

¢ 10,400 necklaces and bracelets manufactured by Colossal Jewelry & Accessories Inc.

¢ 4,500 necklace and earring sets made by La Femme NY 2 Inc.

The enforcement action was a cooperative effort by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC said it was tipped about the hazardous jewelry by Cuomo’s office. In addition to the recall, a number of retailers, including Big Lots and Michaels, agreed in a settlement to immediately stop sales of lead-tainted jewelry.

The CPSC works with companies to issue recalls when it finds consumer goods that can be harmful. Most such recalls are voluntary. Under current regulations, children’s products found to have more than 0.06 percent lead are usually subject to a recall, in which the company must reimburse consumers for the value of the product, provide a replacement or offer a repair.

Cuomo commended Michaels Stores and Big Lots for acting quickly and “agreeing to safeguards against lead contamination.”

In a statement, Michaels said it removed all Pure Allure products suspected of lead contamination from its store shelves when it learned about Cuomo’s investigation. The company added that it conducts routine checks with vendors and its own independent testing.

Cuomo said that some of the 35 products his office investigated contained as much as 1,000 times the federal safety standard. Most of the jewelry was made in China, some was from Thailand and India, and some had no clear record of where the items were manufactured, said John Milgrim, a spokesman for the attorney general.

Big Lots, which agreed to pay a $1,000 penalty under the settlement, has 1,300 discount stores nationwide. Michaels, which does not have to pay a penalty, is the nation’s largest arts and crafts retailer and has more than 950 stores in the United States and Canada, including one in Lawrence.