Normal jewelery contains nickel which can be a major cause of allergic reaction. It is believed that over 15% of the general population has sensitivities to nickel- and that number grows as more and more people are exposed to it in high level and long lasting amounts. Reactions can include itchy and swollen skin, prickly skin and even a rash that does not immediately subside upon removal of the offending item.
Hypoallergenic jewelery is made up of pure materials- metals as they are found in their pure (or close to pure) elemental state- to which true allergies are very rare. Gold, silver, Titanium, Niobium, and even copper- these are all found as pure elemental metals on the periodic table of the elements. It is only once those metals are "alloyed" (please see the "
All about gold" or "
All about metals" pages for more information on alloying and why it is done) with other metals (often including nickel) that they begin to cause reactions. The purer the metal (higher karat gold, fine silver, etc, the less likely people are to have any sort of reaction.
Although stainless steel is often included in the hypoallergenic group as the nickel it contains is much more tightly bonded to the other metals, it actually contains over 10% nickel by weight and as such can cause reactions. For this reason it is being replaced amongst medical implants by titanium and niobium.
There are people who are allergic to pure metals- including 24 karat gold, but these allergies are quite rare. In most cases, being allergic to one pure metal does not mean an allergy to all pure metals. There are also people who have full metal contact allergies which are exceedingly rare and most often are just sensitivities based on the skin needing more time to breath than is normally allotted.
A simple solution for mild sensitivities can be use of a jewelery shield or clear lacquer painted onto any areas of the piece that are in direct contact with skin. Clear nail polish can make an excellent short term solution for a much loved but only occasionally worn pair of earrings.
It should be noted that nickel is especially prevalent in mass market produced jewelery in both gold and silver tones.
Often what is interpreted as an allergy, things like skin and/or metal turning black or green, is not an allergy but instead a chemical reaction between the metal and the wearer's skin. Copper and brass take on different appearances when in contact with certain chemicals in much the same way that silver will tarnish over time. These colours can easily rub off onto the wearer. Although these can be a pain to clean up, they do no damage to either the wearer or the jewelery. For information on how to clean this patina off jewelery please
visit our jewelery maintenance and repair page.
Another big allergen related to jewelery is not the metal itself- but the polish! When cleaning your jewelery be careful to remove all traces of cleaning compounds before wearing. Many are mild abrasives or contain fairly harsh chemicals you would not want to leave near your skin.
While people tend to react to their jewelery for a number of reasons the single biggest factor that I see as a jeweler over-wear. Often, people will wear their jewelery 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Skin needs time to breath- and believe it or not, so does your jewelery. Leave jewelery off at night and while working out or getting wet- it will keep your jewelery, and your skin, in better condition.
