What jewelry metals are hypoallergenic?

Metal Hypersensitivity

Metal sensitivity (also called metal hypersensitivity) is an allergic reaction that can be caused by exposure to metals in jewelry, dental implants, and orthopedic implants. Metal hypersensitivity is a common disease. It is estimated that the overall prevalence of metal hypersensitivity in the general population is between 10% and 15%, and women are higher than men. Some people are allergic to nickel, and a very small number of people are allergic to cobalt and chromium.

The Main Metal that Causes Reactions in Jewelry

Copper

Copper will make your skin green. When exposed to air, copper will form a patina and darken. The green stain comes from the oxidation that occurs when the copper reacts with sweat and other chemicals. This green stain can be removed with soap and water and is non-toxic and harmless.

Nickel

Nickel allergy is very common. Nickel has been used as a component of alloys for many years to harden most metals in jewelry manufacturing, especially gold. Common side effects are itching and redness, dry skin, and increased blisters. If this happens, no matter what kind of jewelry you are wearing, it is best to remove it.

Hypoallergenic Jewelry Metals

Stainless Steel

Our stainless steel jewelry is made of 316L stainless steel. Although not considered a precious metal, it is much more durable than silver or platinum. This durability is attributed to the chrome coating on the steel. The invisible coating protects the steel underneath from oxidation (tarnishing and rusting). Because the advantages of its raw materials also determine the many advantages of 316L stainless steel jewelry, 316L stainless steel can be used to produce rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings and many other types of 316L stainless steel jewelry. The advantages of 316L stainless steel jewelry are as follows: high strength, not easy to deform, no rust, strong corrosion-resistance, durable and moderate price.

The element that may cause allergies in 316L stainless steel is nickel, but it is generally considered to be hypoallergenic for most people. In fact, you may be exposed to nickel through your daily diet, because nickel is easily found in the soil. If you are allergic to nickel, look for jewelry made of metals such as nickel-free stainless steel, titanium, 18k gold or nickel-free gold and sterling silver.

Gold

We can only say that 24k gold is hypoallergenic because anything else is an alloy. Gold is measured by different carat counts. 24kt gold is pure gold, which means that 24 of the 24 carats are made of pure gold. However, 24kt gold is usually too soft for jewelry. Most of the time, you will find jewelry made of 14kt gold, which means that 14 of the 24 carats are made of pure gold. The other 10 parts are made from other metals, depending on the color of the gold. Rose gold will be made of copper, while white gold will be made of palladium. According to the wearer's allergies, 14kt gold can reduce allergic reactions.

Sterling Silver

Some people are allergic to silver, but most people who are allergic to nickel are not allergic to silver because sterling silver is almost pure metal. 925 silver refers to a silver product with a silver content of about 92.5%. Because high-purity silver is soft and easily oxidized, 925 silver is added with 7.5% of other metals to make it have ideal hardness. 7.5% of other metals are generally copper.

Brass

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. If you are allergic to brass, you may also be allergic to copper. Brass is often used as a base metal coated with pure silver or gold because it is easily electroplated. Wearing brass jewelry for a long time does make your skin green, but you don't need to panic. The patina can be easily removed by washing with soap and water. This natural oxidation patina is non-toxic and completely harmless. Pure brass is one of the safest jewelry metals. It only contains zinc and copper, and the human body needs an appropriate dose of zinc and copper to maintain health.

Platinum

Platinum is a soft white precious metal, which means it is very expensive in the jewelry market. Platinum is denser and rarer than gold. Therefore, its price is high. Typically, jewelry manufacturers use it as an alloy with 90%-95% pure platinum and possibly 5% iridium, palladium or ruthenium, because they are also hypoallergenic metals.

Platinum is a highly hypoallergenic metal and an excellent choice for jewelry. Although it is usually more expensive than other metals, it hardly loses its luster and does not make you itchy. Platinum is scratch-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and is known as one of the strongest and most durable metals in the world.

Palladium

Palladium is also a hypoallergenic metal, but it is not as popular as platinum. Palladium is a fairly new precious metal, very rare and super durable. It is famous for its appearance very much like platinum, but it is much cheaper. It belongs to the same class of metals as platinum and therefore has many of the same characteristics. Any design that platinum can achieve can be made with palladium. From the platinum group metals, palladium is the most suitable for those who are allergic to gold.

Palladium is also resistant to corrosion and oxidation. As a precious metal, palladium does not need to be alloyed because its color can exist forever. Usually, jewelry manufacturers use it at 95% purity, so that the jewelry pieces are durable and pure. Since the discovery of palladium in 1802, the position of palladium in the jewelry industry has been greatly developed.