"I can only wear gold jewelry" – The truth about jewelry allergies

I can only wear gold jewelry, everything else breaks me.” How many times have I heard that exact phrase from my mother when I was a child? Every time she gave him jewelry, that was her response.

Why does everything but gold get my mother out? Is that statement even true? When I started designing jewelry over ten years ago, I decided to find out. I wanted to design jewelry for my mom that she could wear without fear of an outbreak. Now I will tell you what I discovered.

My mother, like many people, develops contact dermatitis when her skin comes in contact with some types of jewelry. Her dermatitis is the result of an allergic reaction to nickel found in many types of jewelry. Nickel allergies are very common, in fact, one in seven people is likely to suffer from a nickel allergy. Women tend to suffer from nickel allergies more often than men. Allergy treatment can help with nickel allergy symptoms. Unfortunately, once an allergy has developed, the person will remain sensitive to nickel for the rest of their life.

Nickel is found in many types of jewelry, especially those that are mass produced. It can also be found in other everyday items like coins, zippers, eyeglass frames, and cell phones.

So why is my mom allergic to nickel?, you may ask. For some reason, not yet understood by science, her body has mistaken nickel (or similar metals like cobalt) for a threat. In response to that threat, her body causes an immune response (also known as an allergic reaction) to get rid of the threat. This reaction causes an itchy rash to break out. But others might have a more severe reaction to nickel.

Now that I knew what was causing my mom’s acne breakout, I set out to find out what types of jewelry were nickel-free.

first i looked gold jewelry. Generally speaking, yellow gold (greater than 14 karats) will not cause an allergic reaction. However, white gold can. White gold alloys contain nickel and other “white” metals to produce their silver color. One in nine people will react to nickel in white gold.

Another form of gold jewelry is full of gold gold jewelry “GF”. Gold-filled jewelry metal is created when a base metal is coated with a layer of gold. Gold fill differs from gold plating by the amount of gold applied. The layer used in gold-filled jewelry is typically 50 to 100 times thicker than the layer used to coat gold-plated products.

Then I looked at the silver jewelry. For those who are sensitive to nickel, fine silver and sterling silver are excellent choices for “white” metals.

fine silver it is by definition 99.9% pure silver. Jewelry is generally not made from sterling silver because the metal is extremely soft and does not hold up well to normal wear and tear.

Most silver jewelry is made from sterling silver. Sterling silver it is by definition 92.5% pure silver. In most cases, the remaining 7.5% metal is copper. The copper is infused to harden the silver and make it more durable. I use this type of sterling silver in my jewelry designs, it is a great metal for those who are allergic to nickel. You can sometimes tell sterling silver by the “925” mark found on jewelry. This is common in manufactured pieces, but may not be present in handmade jewelry.

Some other metals that are considered safe for people with nickel allergies are:

Copper – Copper jewelry is generally considered pure and not mixed with nickel or nickel alloys.

Platinum – Platinum jewelry contains 95% platinum and 5% of a secondary metal, usually iridium.

Titanium – Titanium jewelry is hypoallergenic and durable. It is a highly recommended metal for those who suffer from nickel allergies.

Niobium – This is a relatively new metal in the jewelry industry. It is a rare earth metal that can be anodized (naturally coated with beautiful colors). Like titanium, this metal is recommended for those who are allergic to nickel, especially those looking for a pop of color.

Since I’ve given you a list of safe metals, I thought I’d also give you a list of metal terms to look out for when shopping for jewelry.

Fashion or costume jewelry typically has base metals that include nickel. Sometimes these metals are plated; however, that coating will wear away over time, exposing the skin to the base metals. If you choose a plated metal, remember that it will need to be re-plated regularly.

Some have suggested that bronze may be a hypoallergenic option. However, my research has suggested that brass is sometimes alloyed with small amounts of nickel or even lead to strengthen the metal.

German silver or nickel silver is a metal to stay away from when it comes to jewelry. German silver does not contain silver. Silver refers to the silver coloring of the metal. The color is derived from a combination of nickel, zinc, lead, and tin found within the alloy.

Surgical or Stainless Steel – Surgical grade stainless steel is made to be on the human body. However, steel alloy contains between eight and twelve percent nickel. I have heard various reports about how safe this metal is for people with nickel allergies. Since AlNi contains nickel, I would tend to avoid it, but some people wear it out.

If you purchase a piece of jewelry and are concerned that it may contain nickel, commercial test kits are available online. These kits contain chemicals that react in the presence of nickel.

Doing a little research can prevent a nickel allergy attack and still allow you to wear beautiful jewelry.