Wearing jewelry is a fun and stylish way to express yourself, but if you’ve ever taken off a ring or a bracelet because it has caused the skin to itch, you may be second guessing your fashion choices.
When skin is sensitive to certain metals used in the jewelry-making process, jewelry pieces could cause ugly, angry, or itchy reactions.
Fortunately, with a little knowledge about how to shop for jewelry for sensitive skin, it’s easy to to make smart choices that show off personal style without damaging the skin.
Know Your Allergies
Most skin reactions to jewelry are due to metal allergies.
Nickel and copper are frequently used as the base for costume jewelry or plated jewelry and are two of the most common metal allergens. Plated jewelry is typically made with a cheaper metal alloy and then coated in either silver or gold to achieve the look of the more expensive metal but at a much cheaper price.
For most people who need to wear hypoallergenic jewelry, avoiding pieces made with nickel and copper is enough to prevent any adverse reactions to the jewelry. If nickel or copper are not included in the jewelry pieces that are causing skin issues, then it may be necessary to consult an allergist to identify the culprit.
Choose Pure Metals
Gold at a purity of 14 karat (14K) or more and platinum jewelry rarely cause allergic or other skin reactions.
Choosing jewelry that is made from one of these pure metals helps most people avoid skin reactions. However, it’s important to make sure the jewelry isn’t simply plated. The plating eventually wears and flakes off, exposing potential allergens in the metal alloys underneath the plating.
Long-Lasting, High-Quality Jewelry
It’s tempting to buy costume jewelry that offers a little bit of sparkle, but at a lower cost. However, costume jewelry is very likely to contain the metals that cause skin reactions. These pieces are also far less likely to last a lifetime, unlike a high-quality piece of jewelry.
To further complicate the matter, it’s rare for costume jewelry to identify the metals used to make the pieces, making it a big risk for those with sensitive skin to wear costume jewelry that probably isn’t hypoallergenic.
Purchasing a high-quality piece of jewelry, rather than costume jewelry, eliminates this concern as only the best materials are used to create long-lasting jewelry.
Fine jewelry also has the potential to be passed down to future generations. Meaning the
gemstone ring you bought today, or
pendant necklace has the opportunity to become a family heirloom.
Testing Jewelry is Possible
When it comes to costume jewelry and vintage jewelry with uncertain provenance, it may be possible to use a metal testing kit to identify the metals in the pieces. These kits come with special chemicals that turn different colors based on the metals detected in the jewelry.
While investing in a kit probably doesn’t make sense to test a pair of garage sale earrings, testing valuable items before wearing them can be worth it to avoid unpleasant skin reactions.
Buy from Reputable Sources
For those who are trying to avoid certain metals, it’s important to know about the metals contained in a piece of jewelry. Identifying the composition of a jewelry item is challenging if you don’t buy it from a reputable source, such as a local jeweler.
Buying jewelry online, even from mass market sites, makes it hard to know exactly what the pieces contain.
Even hypoallergenic earrings that are marketed as gold may be plated and contain a base metal that causes the skin to react.
On the other hand, when shopping at Hannoush Jewelers, the knowledgeable sales staff can direct you to high-quality jewelry that contains only pure metals like sterling silver, gold, or platinum.
Pick Classic Pieces
Although the look of a piece of jewelry doesn’t determine whether it will cause an allergic reaction, there is some sound logic in choosing classic pieces like simple
diamond stud earrings,
bangles, and pendant necklaces.
Moisture can irritate skin and cause a reaction, which means wearing less jewelry can be helpful for those with sensitive skin. Wearing just one beautiful, timeless piece at a time can be another way to protect delicate skin.
Choosing the right jewelry should be a fun and empowering experience. Whether you have sensitive skin or just want to add something beautiful and lasting to your jewelry collection, be sure to visit the
Hannoush showroom in Albany or Clifton Park, New York to pick out the perfect sparkle.
