Testing for Metal Allergies to Surgical Hardware

If you're designing hypoallergenic earrings or other jewelry, what are your options? What metals are safe to habiliment? Is surgical stainless steel the same equally hypoallergenic or nickel free? The answers aren't as simple as you might hope, only at that place are some dandy (and economical) choices.

First, a few definitions:

Hypoallergenic

Hypoallergenic means "below normal" or "slightly" allergenic. The term was coined past the cosmetics manufacture in the 1950'southward, and became a popular marketing term for jewelry soon afterwards.

Many people are allergic to nickel, and then "nickel gratis" and "hypoallergenic" are sometimes considered synonymous. Be aware that hypoallergenic does not mean nickel-free, nor does information technology take a legal or medical definition for use in jewelry. You're better off using specific materials rather than the vague term "hypoallergenic."

Many people believe that stainless steel is nickel free, simply most stainless steel alloys (fifty-fiftysurgical stainless steel) contain 8-12% nickel. Roughly 6-12% of the population is allergic to nickel, so although it's legally adequate to put a "hypoallergenic" label on all stainless steel, it doesn't seem quite fair to those who are looking for nickel-costless jewelry.

But a few more than terms to define, earlier I get to the listing of skillful metals to try.

Elements and Alloys

Alloys (such every bit stainless steel, sterling silver and 14kt gold) are mixtures of elements (such every bit iron, gilt, copper and zinc). People create alloys to modify the color, melting temperature, and/or strength of lone elements. For example, solid gilt is too soft for ear wires — to make it stronger, information technology is assimilated (mixed) with other elements such every bit silver and to make 14kt or other alloys of aureate. Iron is alloyed (mixed) with other elements primarily to make it stronger and resistant to rust.

Nickel Free or Eu Nickel Directive?

Since there isn't a formal US definition of nickel gratis, and alloys vary, a good style to find items that are very depression nickel, is to search for items that say they encounter the EU Nickel Directive. Another method is to avert alloys entirely, and focus on elemental metals such equally niobium and titanium. For more data almost the term "nickel gratuitous", see our Nickel-Costless Metals Information page.

Good Metals to try:

Because different people are allergic to different metals, I tin can't give yous a "one size fits all" solution. Even so, the metals listed below tend to cause fewer problems than others. Advisedly check out these metals and links (updated October 2015) to meet which metals are likely to piece of work all-time for you.

Niobium

Niobium is an excellent selection for people with metal allergies. Information technology is highly resistant to corrosion and other reactions, and is used in medical implants. Niobium is non plated or painted, so the color will not flake or chip. It is anodized, meaning information technology is colored past dipping it into an electrically charged "bath." Considering it is an inert chemical element, with no nickel, lead, or other additives, virtually people with metallic allergies can safely habiliment niobium. Information technology doesn't match bones silvery and golden colors — but it is bachelor in rich black, copper, brass, bronze, bluish, green, pink, purple, raw, and xanthous.

Do not be confused by the col o r similarities of anodized niobium and anodized aluminum. Both metals tin can be anodized to wonderful bright colors, just aluminum is besides soft for ear wires.

Rings & Things stocks colorful Niobium head pins and jump rings in improver to Niobium ear wires.

Titanium

Titanium is a very strong metal, frequently used in medical implants, and is another excellent choice for people with nickel allergies.

Our titanium ear wires and earring posts are Grade 1 ASTM F67, which is unalloyed commercially pure titanium, and meets the EU nickel directive. Our titanium earring posts have either a Brittania pewter pad (can, antimony and copper), or a stainless steel apartment pad.

Stainless Steel

There are over 100 alloys of stainless steel, and each is denoted past a unique SAE steel form number, which may include one or more messages. Stainless steel alloys include steel (atomic number 26 with carbon),chromium for scratch resistance and corrosion resistance, nickelto reduce brittleness and meliorate force at both loftier and low temperatures, and other trace elements. For stainless steel alloys used in jewelry, these trace elements are approximately 0.75% silicon, 0.045% phosphorous, 0.03% sulfur, two% manganese, and 0.one% nitrogen.

304 stainless steel is the most popular grade of stainless steel. Information technology is 18-twenty% chromium, 8-ten.five% nickel, 0.08% carbon, plus iron and the trace elements listed above. Information technology is unremarkably used in the food manufacture (sinks, java urns, dairy storage and hauling, beer/brewing, citrus and fruit juice handling, etc). The same corrosion and stain resistance that make it great for food treatment, likewise make it popular for jewelry.

Rings & Things stocks over 100 items made from 304 stainless steel: wire, earring posts, stringing cablevision and cable chokers, jump rings, split rings, pilus findings, lobster clasps, jump loaded clasps, domestic dog tags, glue bails / pendant plates, beadable silverware, and beadable wine bottle stoppers. Some are plated, but well-nigh are raw stainless steel.

2-tone stainless steel ear wires allow yous to have a plated ball and curl, with a raw stainless steel ear wire. They may look odd in the package, but look great on the ear.

304Lstainless steel is most the same equally 304, but has a lower carbon content (0.03%), and may contain a slightly higher amount of nickel (8-12%). This alloy has increased weldability and resistance to corrosion (bang-up for men's jewelry).

430stainless steel contains less than 0.75% nickel, and some forms of 430 stainless steel meet the EU nickel directive (less than .05% nickel ion migration). 430 stainless steel has good corrosion resistance compared to non-stainless steel, but not as good every bit the 304 and 316 alloys.

XC45 and S50C Steel are loftier-quality structural carbon steel made of 0.42 – 0.5% carbon, 0.iii% (or less) nickel, and minor amounts of silicon, manganese, sulfur, phosphorous, chromium and copper. This grade provides the springy strength required for French-style barrette backs and French shoe clips.

Surgical Stainless Steel

Adding the word "surgical" to a stainless steel alloy's proper noun does not really brand information technology a better course of steel. The SAE grade number (304, 430, 316L, etc.) defines the alloy and its properties, so the word "surgical" simply tells us "not-SAE-tech people" that 316 and 316L stainless steel alloys have backdrop suitable for temporary medical implants, or for making durable surgical instruments.

316 and 316L surgical stainless steel incorporate ii-three% molybdenum for even greater resistance to harsh corrosives (both industrial, and in the body).316L is a low carbon version of 316, with actress corrosion resistance, and is often used for stainless steel watches and marine applications. Like most other stainless steel, it contains 8-10.5% nickel, making it unsuitable for people with nickel allergies.

Sterling Silver and Fine Argent

Sterling argent is an alloy containing at least 92.5% silver. The almost popular sterling silvery alloy is 92.5% argent and seven.5% copper. To prevent tarnish while on display in department stores and high-end jewelry stores, some sterling is plated with rhodium. Near people can safely wear adept quality sterling silver, merely a few are allergic to silver or copper. Sterling silver from reputable vendors is nickel gratis, but exist aware that some jewelry marked sterling or 925 — particularly if the price seems likewise good to be truthful — may incorporate picayune or no silver at all, or be alloyed with random metals.

Argentium™ sterling silver replaces some of the copper with 1.2% germanium (the remainder is 6.3% copper and 92.v% silvery). Argentium sterling silver is tarnish resistant, light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation weldable, and has other unique properties.

Other special alloys of sterling are occasionally available, each with its own unique properties. More info about sterling silver, including hallmarks.

Silvery fill (as well calledsilvery overlay) is made by using heat and pressure to apply a layer of sterling (.925) silverish to a base of less costly metallic, usually contumely. The minimum layer of silver must equal at least 1/20 of the total weight of the item. Silver make full is 100's of times thicker than silver plating, and then it lasts many years longer before wearing through the layer of silver. If you lot can wear sterling argent, y'all can most probable wear argent-fill up items for quite a few years earlier you wear through the pinnacle layer to any irritating basemetal layers beneath it.

Vermeil, pronounced "vehr-MAY" [French], is gold plated sterling silver. If you can clothing sterling silver, information technology's very probable that you tin can wear vermeil.

Fine silver, sometimes stamped ".999", is 99.9% pure silvery, which means it is softer and more malleable than sterling. It is commonly used for bezels, handmade ball-end head pins, and components fabricated past the Karen Loma tribes.

Just like sterling silver, fine silverish can exist misrepresented. If you've experienced allergies to cheap items marked sterling, 925 or 999, you may want to try again from a reliable, knowledgeable vendor before you dominion out silverish entirely.

Gold

Karat (kt) gilt: Pure golden is 24kt, significant 24 out of 24 parts are gilt. 24kt is also soft to be functional, and so it is assimilated with other metals for durability, price and colour. 14kt is 14 parts gold out of 24, and the remaining 10 parts are other metals. Depending on the color of gilded (which can be yellow, rose, green or white), the other parts may exist copper, silver, nickel, zinc, tin, palladium and/or manganese. People with nickel allergies should be aware that, until recently, most white gold independent nickel. Today, palladium is used to brand a white golden alloy that is less likely to react to the wearer's skin.

Gold fill up (also calledgilt overlay) is made past using estrus and pressure to apply a layer of karat gold to a base of less plush metal. This produces a surface with karat gold. The minimum layer of karat gold must equal at least i/20 of the total weight of the item. Golden fill is 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, and so it lasts many years longer earlier wearing through the layer of gilded. If you tin can wear 14kt gilded, y'all can almost likely wear gold-fill items for quite a few years before you habiliment through the top layer to the brass or other basemetal beneath information technology. Roughly half our gold-make full items are 12kt gold fill up; the other one-half are 14kt gold fill.

Copper and Brass

Copper is a lovely reddish metal. It is piece of cake to piece of work with, merely oxidizes chop-chop, and where it comes into contact with skin, tin plough skin green. The "greenish pare" factor makes information technology unpopular for ear wires or earring posts. You can lacquer (or otherwise coat) it, only high contact points — such as going through an ear — wear off rapidly.

Nigh people can safely wear copper, but aren't always excited to have their skin turn color where it touches them. For this reason you lot may desire to mount copper bracelet designs onto a sterling backing, or apply copper-colored niobium ear wires on copper earrings.

Alternatively, many people believe that copper can prevent arthritis, so solid copper bracelets are popular. For this issue, it needs to touch (and react with) your skin, then skip whatever protective layers.

Brass is an blend of copper and zinc. Depending on the desired properties, the percents of copper and zinc tin can vary greatly. Because contumely is usually 50-ninety% copper, it has roughly the same "green pare" properties as copper. Cheap brass earrings may take irritating impurities in their blend, causing an allergic reaction to people who aren't allergic to either copper or zinc.

Brass is a popular material for plated ear wires, because it is inexpensive, like shooting fish in a barrel to plate or electrocoat, and is relatively allergy-free.

Non-Metal Earring Findings

Some people are allergic to and so many metals that it can be frustrating (or impossible) to find any that are wearable. A good solution is East'arrs Ear Protectors, not-metal sleeves that slide over earring posts (and ear wires). These add a fleck of thickness to the earring post (or ear wire) so they tin exist annoying for the first few days. After that, they are fine as long every bit y'all continue to wear them.

I hope this commodity assist you choice the perfect metals for the jewelry you lot make (or modify). If you take any questions, please leave them every bit comments beneath and I volition reply as apace as I tin can.

~Polly

Edited December 2021, to update links.