Jewelry is a beautiful way to express your style, personality and spirit. But when it becomes an irritant, leaving your skin greenish, with ugly rashes, blistering, or redness. Then you know it’s time to take a new route and opt for jewelry made from hypoallergenic metal. Azura Jewelry is made from 925 sterling silver and electroplated with 14k gold which is safe for your skin.

So before your next shopping, here is what you need to know about jewelry that is good for your sensitive skin.

What Is Hypoallergenic Jewelry?

Hypoallergenic jewelry is a term that has gained popularity in jewelry metals as being safe to wear. They are made of metals that don’t cause allergic reactions and most importantly, they don’t contain nickel, the common culprit for metal allergies. It also means the amount of nickel is below minimal or slightly allergenic and can’t cause any problem.

 

What Type of Metal Causes Allergies?

Not all metals or metal alloy types cause allergic reactions. Jewelry makers know the type of metal that is hypoallergenic. You should also be aware of which metal alloy went into such jewelry, so you can make a smart decision without stretching your budget.

Listed below are some of the metals and metal alloy types that often cause uncomfortable allergic reactions:

• Nickel: This metal causes reactions because, when exposed to water or sweat, it breaks down into a type of salt. Salt, of course, is irritating. This is the most common, but not the only metal that brings on allergic reaction symptoms. Therefore, if your skin is sensitive, you shouldn’t be wearing any costume jewelry. This kind of jewelry often uses nickel, which causes a reaction in many people.
• Copper: Copper is often hypoallergenic, but it is a soft, extra-pliable metal. It makes beautiful jewelry, but it cannot withstand wear and tear like some other metals. Therefore, some craft men reinforce it with a little nickel metal alloy, which can cause an allergic reaction.
• Lead: Some metal alloys have a small percentage of lead. We’ve known for many years that lead causes terrible birth defects and strong reactions, and the same is true of any jewelry made with even the tiniest amounts of it.
• Brass:  Brass is another known culprit to cause skin allergies. Brass metal contains alloyed copper, zinc, or nickel and is not hypoallergenic

 

Buying Allergy-Free Hypoallergenic Jewelry

Many people who suffer from metal allergies can stop their symptoms by switching to a purer metal, rather than an alloy. Gold, sterling silver, palladium and stainless steel are often regarded as hypoallergenic metals. Let’s take a look at these and other options for hypoallergenic jewelry components.

For the most bang for your buck, we recommend sterling silver, make sure to check for a "sterling" or "925" stamp and avoid anything that's silver-plated. It could have a metal base with brass or copper alloys, which you don't want.

 

Sterling Silver

The safest metal to wear for those who may have sensitive skin or known allergies are sterling silver. It is at least 92.5% silver, which is why most sterling will be marked 925. The other 7.5% is usually copper or brass.

Silver jewelry findings are often found as silver-plated or silver-filled. In this case, sterling silver is applied via heat treatment to a less expensive metal, like brass. For people with less severe metal allergies, this can be a great option.

Our collection of hypoallergenic rings, hypoallergenic necklace and hypoallergenic earrings are made from sterling silver and electroplated with 14kt gold. It is 100% nickel-free, which makes it a perfect hypoallergenic jewelry choice for sensitive skin.

 

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is often made of an alloy that includes steel, chromium, and often nickel. Oftentimes, the nickel content is too high for people with nickel allergies to wear consistently, though it does come in different grades with higher and lower carbon and nickel contents. Stainless steel is used in surgical instruments, which means it is resistant to corrosives and won’t rust over time. If you are looking for the best stainless steel alloy for its hypoallergenic properties, look for XC45 steel or 430 stainless- they have less than 1% nickel, while 304 stainless will have over 10%.

Palladium

You might also want to consider alloys that contain palladium instead of copper or nickel. Palladium is a white metal related to platinum: it's as lustrous, hypoallergenic, and almost as pure as platinum, but because it's less dense, it's more affordable.

Gold

Gold is found in different karat counts. 24kt gold is pure gold- 24 out of 24 karats are made of pure gold. But this metal is very soft, oftentimes too soft for jewelry. Most often you will find jewelry components in 10kt or 14kt gold, which is 10 and 14 out of 24 karats are made of pure gold respectively.

The other parts are made from other metals, depending upon the color of the gold. Rose gold will be made with copper, while white gold will be made with palladium. Depending on your allergies, gold can be the perfect hypoallergenic metal to reduce allergic reactions.

Note that if a jewelry you wish to purchase is labeled “gold plated”, make sure to check what the base metal is before you buy.

Tips for Wearing the Right Jewelry with Sensitive Skin!

Some things you can do to prevent known or potential allergic reactions to your jewelry are:

• Protect and cover your skin when dealing with jewelry and other metal objects.
  
  
  
• Sell things to which you are allergic and replace them with hypoallergenic materials.
  
  
  
• Use antihistamines and/or steroids to reduce the discomfort of developed reactions.
  
  

Always err on the side of caution, your skin will thank you for that. There’s no such thing as too much information when jewelry shopping. For more information contact info@azurajewelry.com