Jewelry Allergies - My Jewelry Makes Me Itch
"I break out whenever I wear my jewelry." Many people have these symptoms when wearing some types of jewelry. This allergic reaction to some metals is commonly referred to as dermatitis. Dermatitis is a result of an allergic reaction to the Nickel found in many types of jewelry. Nickel allergies are quite widespread. Over 15% of the populace suffers from allergies related to Nickel content in jewelry. More women tend to suffer from Nickel allergies than men. This may be simply due to the fact that women wear more jewelry then men, and therefore are more likely to be exposed to Nickel. What jewelry metals then don't contain Nickel?
Let's firs take a look at Gold jewelry. Yellow Gold jewelry (14 karat and above) usually doesn't cause an allergic reaction. However, white Gold may. Yellow Gold is usually alloyed with Nickel to produce a Silver color. 10% of the population has a reaction to white Gold. Another less expensive form of Gold metal is Gold-filled or "GF." Gold-filled jewelry metal is created when a base metal is coated with a layer of Gold. Gold-filled results in a heavier layer of Gold applied to the base metal vs. Gold-plating. The layer used in Gold filled jewelry is typically 50 to 200 times thicker that the layer used to coat Gold plated products.
For those who are Nickel sensitive, Fine Silver and Sterling Silver are great choices for "white" metals. Fine Silver is 100% pure Silver. Normally, jewelry is generally not made of Fine Silver because the metal is extremely soft and does not withstand normal wear and tear well. Sterling Silver is commonly used in Silver jewelry. Sterling Silver is designated 92.5% Silver. The other remaining 7.5% is made up of Copper. Copper is added to pure Silver during the alloying process to strengthen and add durability to the end product - Sterling Silver. Sterling Silver is a great alternative for people with Nickel metal allergies, since Copper is commonly used in Sterling Silver. All Sterling Silver products are hallmarked with a .925 symbol. Some artisan jewelry may not have this hallmark, but by law, all manufactured jewelry must.
Copper is another great alternative metal if you have problems with Nickel content. Copper jewelry generally is 100% pure Copper, and thus doesn't contain any Nickel or Nickel alloys. Another metal commonly used in jewelry is Stainless Steel or Surgical Steel. As the name implies, Surgical Stainless Steel was designed to be used in the human body. In spite of this, Nickel is still used in the alloying process of Stainless Steel, making up to as much as 8 to 12% of the alloy. Since the steel alloy does contain Nickel, caution should be taken when considering Stainless Steel jewelry if you have skin allergies. Another choice "white" metal for those that suffer with Dermatitis is Platinum. It contains no Nickel and is chiefly composed of 95% Platinum and 5% Iridium. Titanium is a sure bet for those with metal allergies. Titanium is a great metal for jewelry - it's both hypoallergenic and lasting. It's one of the best metals for those that suffer from Nickel allergies.
Now for some of the metals and types of jewelry to watch out for if you have sensitive skin. Nickel is commonly found in most Fashion and Costume jewelry. Fashion or Costume Jewelry typically contains high quantities of Nickel or German Silver. German Silver does not contain any Silver. The name actually refers to the color of the jewelry and is in no way related to the metal content. The "Silver" appearance of German Silver is a result of melting Nickel, lead, zinc, or tin during the alloying process. If you do buy a piece of jewelry and are concerned that it may contain Nickel, commercial test kits are available online. Do a little research upfront and ask the right questions, so that you will be able to wear fashionable jewelry without risking an allergic reaction.
Let's firs take a look at Gold jewelry. Yellow Gold jewelry (14 karat and above) usually doesn't cause an allergic reaction. However, white Gold may. Yellow Gold is usually alloyed with Nickel to produce a Silver color. 10% of the population has a reaction to white Gold. Another less expensive form of Gold metal is Gold-filled or "GF." Gold-filled jewelry metal is created when a base metal is coated with a layer of Gold. Gold-filled results in a heavier layer of Gold applied to the base metal vs. Gold-plating. The layer used in Gold filled jewelry is typically 50 to 200 times thicker that the layer used to coat Gold plated products.
For those who are Nickel sensitive, Fine Silver and Sterling Silver are great choices for "white" metals. Fine Silver is 100% pure Silver. Normally, jewelry is generally not made of Fine Silver because the metal is extremely soft and does not withstand normal wear and tear well. Sterling Silver is commonly used in Silver jewelry. Sterling Silver is designated 92.5% Silver. The other remaining 7.5% is made up of Copper. Copper is added to pure Silver during the alloying process to strengthen and add durability to the end product - Sterling Silver. Sterling Silver is a great alternative for people with Nickel metal allergies, since Copper is commonly used in Sterling Silver. All Sterling Silver products are hallmarked with a .925 symbol. Some artisan jewelry may not have this hallmark, but by law, all manufactured jewelry must.
Copper is another great alternative metal if you have problems with Nickel content. Copper jewelry generally is 100% pure Copper, and thus doesn't contain any Nickel or Nickel alloys. Another metal commonly used in jewelry is Stainless Steel or Surgical Steel. As the name implies, Surgical Stainless Steel was designed to be used in the human body. In spite of this, Nickel is still used in the alloying process of Stainless Steel, making up to as much as 8 to 12% of the alloy. Since the steel alloy does contain Nickel, caution should be taken when considering Stainless Steel jewelry if you have skin allergies. Another choice "white" metal for those that suffer with Dermatitis is Platinum. It contains no Nickel and is chiefly composed of 95% Platinum and 5% Iridium. Titanium is a sure bet for those with metal allergies. Titanium is a great metal for jewelry - it's both hypoallergenic and lasting. It's one of the best metals for those that suffer from Nickel allergies.
Now for some of the metals and types of jewelry to watch out for if you have sensitive skin. Nickel is commonly found in most Fashion and Costume jewelry. Fashion or Costume Jewelry typically contains high quantities of Nickel or German Silver. German Silver does not contain any Silver. The name actually refers to the color of the jewelry and is in no way related to the metal content. The "Silver" appearance of German Silver is a result of melting Nickel, lead, zinc, or tin during the alloying process. If you do buy a piece of jewelry and are concerned that it may contain Nickel, commercial test kits are available online. Do a little research upfront and ask the right questions, so that you will be able to wear fashionable jewelry without risking an allergic reaction.
Comments
