How to Find Hypoallergenic Jewelry
Skin sensitivity doesn’t need to hold you back from sparkling jewelry styles. Hypoallergenic jewelry offers today’s most popular looks and timeless designs with a construction that is free of metals, such as nickel, that can cause irritation for some people. There’s no need to compromise style when it comes to buying jewelry for sensitive skin, we offer a large selection of rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more in hypoallergenic metals.
Signs You Need Hypoallergenic Jewelry
If you experience skin irritation when wearing some types of jewelry, you may be exploring options for hypoallergenic alternatives. Contact dermatitis is the most common symptom of an allergic reaction to metals within jewelry. This is typically a rash that shows up where your skin has come into contact with a normally harmless metal, such as precious metals that have been alloyed or combined with additional components. This is common in many types of jewelry, and plated pieces are especially susceptible to contact dermatitis situations.
Luckily, the need for hypoallergenic rings and other pieces isn’t as common as many people think. Experts at The Cleveland Clinic estimate that only 10% of the US population has some type of nickel allergy and many skincare specialists believe it is more prevalent in women than in men.
What is Hypoallergenic Jewelry?
Hypoallergenic jewelry is free of metals that are common skin irritants for those with sensitives. It does not contain nickel or other metals that can cause contact dermatitis for certain people. Jewelry for sensitive skin can be made of platinum, higher karat gold, titanium or even cobalt.
What Makes Jewelry Hypoallergenic?
The lack of nickel or other potentially irritating metals makes a piece hypoallergenic. Many types of jewelry, such as sterling silver and gold jewelry, are often alloyed with additional metals. These additional alloys help strengthen the jewelry and make it easier to work with. Costume jewelry is often made with a base metal of nickel.
Jewelry for sensitive skin will not contain base or alloyed metals that are common irritants. For fine jewelry, this means the pieces are made of precious metals such as platinum, tungsten, cobalt and palladium. We offer many styles of this jewelry including hypoallergenic wedding rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more.
Which Metals are Common Irritants for People with Sensitive Skin?
Some of the most common metals that can cause skin irritation include:
- Nickel
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Chromium
- Brass
Metal hypersensitivity is most common for nickel, but other metals such as cobalt can also cause an allergic reaction. Hypoallergenic jewelry, such as platinum or high karat gold pieces are often a great choice for avoiding these metals.
The Best Metals for Sensitive Skin Jewelry
Costume jewelry is the most likely culprit for those with sensitive skin, but some fine jewelry pieces are also important to consider in terms of their alloyed metal content. When wearing stud earrings, women’s rings or men’s engagement rings, it’s important to make sure you’re not choosing pieces that contain alloyed metals you may be allergic to.
Some of the best metals for sensitive skin jewelry include:
Platinum. This metal is free of nickel and is 95% pure. The other metals that can be present in platinum include other non-irritating metals such as palladium. Platinum is our most popular hypoallergenic jewelry.
Titanium. An affordable alternative to platinum, titanium is perfect for sensitive skin. It is 99% pure and does not contain nickel.
Cobalt. A great choice for men’s styles, cobalt is hypoallergenic for those with the more common skin sensitivities. If you are allergic to cobalt, this metal is not the best choice for you.
High karat yellow gold. White, rose and even yellow gold are mixed with other metals for strengthening. A gold’s karat value, also known as its fineness, will show how much pure gold is in the piece. Higher karat yellow gold pieces are the least likely to contain additional alloyed metals. This makes them a popular choice for sensitive skin.
Sterling silver. Depending on the allergy, sterling silver can be a good sensitive skin choice. It is often alloyed with copper rather than nickel.
Your exact skin sensitivity will help determine which hypoallergenic jewelry is right for you. Platinum’s purity makes it the most popular hypoallergenic jewelry choice.
Is White Gold Good for Sensitive Skin?
While high karat yellow gold provides a hypoallergenic option for many sensitivities, its companions often include additional metals. White gold engagement rings and other jewelry styles in this metal are alloyed with added materials that can cause irritation for those with particularly sensitive skin. If you’re looking for the white gold look in a hypoallergenic metal, opt for platinum.
Finding Fine Jewelry that is Hypoallergenic
We’re proud to offer a wide array of fine jewelry in hypoallergenic metals for any style. Whether you’re in need of hypoallergenic engagement rings, earrings or other pieces, we have your fit!
