Metal Allergy Basics

According to Rich Maloof, one and four women have some kind of metal allergy. He states that allergic reactions can take the form of:

• Discoloration where the metal touched the skin
• Itching where the metal touched the skin
• Rashes or red patchy marks where the metal touched the skin
• Oozing, pus, or bleeding in the case of piercings containing metals your body can’t tolerate

Which Metals?

The most common metal allergy is nickel, and according to Maloof this allergy affects more women than men, which is a little ironic since it’s women who wear the most jewelry. Unfortunately, most of the gold and silver used in jewelry is alloyed rather than pure, and often the alloys contain nickel.

Pure yellow gold (24kt), titanium, and platinum in jewelry don’t typically cause allergic reactions (see,  you have an excuse to buy fine jewelry as it won’t cause allergic reactions). White gold is an alloy and so may contain nickel. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and the rest is another metal to harden it. While the second metal is typically copper, it is possible that there could be nickel. And speaking of copper, this metal is usually used in a pure form for copper jewelry and so should be safe.

In the case of plated pieces, you might not react to the plating, but as it wears off you might react to the base metals beneath it once they’re exposed.

So What Do You Do?

Metal allergies can make buying jewelry a frustrating experience. As a jewelry designer, crafter, and seller, it can be frustrating from my side of the transaction as well. The last thing I want to do is sell someone something that will make them sick or hurt them, but often suppliers don’t give me any idea if there’s nickel in a component.

So far when this issue has come up I had the luxury of it being with a local friend. I told her if she bought the earrings and the earwires gave her problems, I would order guaranteed hypoallergenic ones and swap out the wires. Fortunately, she had no trouble so now I know that those earwires should be safe. I won’t tell potential buyers that they’re guaranteed safe as people will have different levels of sensitivity.

Some people simply decide not to buy any jewelry with metal in it. Instead, they buy stretch bracelets, pieces made with ribbon, leather, or hemp, or other items that they can be sure won’t cause them trouble. In the case of finer jewelry that isn’t typically worn for long stretches, some just grin and bear it as they don’t get a reaction unless they’ve been wearing a piece for many hours or even days.

Titanium is the metal most recommended for those with metal allergies. Given that this material also holds up well over time, it’s a good choice in general. Believe it or not, surgical (stainless) steel can contain nickel, but not everyone with nickel allergies has a reaction to this metal. For example, the earwires my friend tested are silver-plated surgical steel and yet they didn’t cause her a problem (even though the plating could contain nickel too).

You can purchase kits that will test for nickel in a piece, though I have no personal experience with these, I’d love to hear from people who do. If you find a piece that you love but just can’t wear, try one of the following:

• Purchase a product that lets you spray a coating that will prevent your skin from contacting the metal (again, I have no experience with these, and I’d want to be careful that the product wouldn’t damage the jewelry in any way, especially any parts that aren’t metal)
• Finding a local jewelry artist who can take the piece apart and rebuild it with metals that you can tolerate
• Wear the piece only for short periods, with “short” being determined by how long it takes before you have a reaction

Do you have metal allergies? I’d love to hear some stories from people who do, and how they deal with the issue. From my point of view, I do want to try to use as much hypoallergenic material as possible. Or at least have a hypoallergenic alternative if someone needs one. I just wish suppliers would hold up their end of things and be clearer about the contents of their products.

Hint: One friend says that she’s often read that if you’re allergic to metal, paint the back of your watch with clear nail polish to coat it and protect your skin. Again, be careful doing this with jewelry if you let the nail polish touch non-metal pieces.

Recommended Reading

Here’s some additional reading materials I’ve found on the topic, I’ll come back and add more as I find them:

• Nickel Allergy Jewelry Solutions
• The Ongoing Problem of Dealing with Nickel Allergies
• Nickel Allergies

©2012 Dee's Adornments. All Rights Reserved.

Related posts:

1. Materials: Base Metals
2. Materials: Plated Metals
3. Materials: Vermeil

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©2012 Dee's Adornments. All Rights Reserved.

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