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Introduction
You see some jewelry that you are excited to get from the jeweler, and then the next thing you know, when you try it on, you develop a rash and break out into hives. That is always disappointing because the one piece of jewelry you want to wear makes you uncomfortable. That is because you are allergic to metal, and many metals can cause allergies.
What is the solution to this problem? First, you will want to focus only on getting jewelry made from hypoallergenic metal, which can be a gamechanger. That is, if you find jewelry that consists of metal that you don’t react to and enjoy showing it off, then you will feel as if your battle with the rashes and hives will be a thing of the past. The solution is to get educated and learn about the metals that are known to be hypoallergenic. Let’s go over several of them right now, so you know what type of jewelry to get.
Niobium
If you have metal allergies, you will want to get jewelry made with niobium as it is hypoallergenic. Not only will you not have to deal with the rashes and hives when you wear jewelry made with this metal, but you will also see it is corrosion-resistant, which will increase the lifespan of this metal. You will never see it flake or wear down for this reason.
Niobium is the metal that you will see medical tools made of because it does not rust. This metal is hypoallergenic because it does not contain lead or nickel, or any other additives that can cause allergies. However, niobium is not the only metal that will not cause allergic reactions, as gold is good too!
Gold
Gold is one of the best hypoallergenic metal options, and the higher the karat count, the better. That is because the highest karat count for gold, which is 24 karats, means that it is pure gold, which is completely hypoallergenic. However, as you know, 24 karat gold is quite expensive, so 18 karat gold is preferred. Jewelry made with 18 karat gold is less expensive and consists of enough gold that having an allergic reaction to other metals is not as likely.
You can also get 14 karat gold jewelry for even a lower price, but the other ten parts consist of different metals, which causes a slight reaction. You would have to know what other metals are in jewelry that consists of gold fewer than 24 karats. If there is 14 karat gold jewelry that seems to be abnormally inexpensive, then there is a good chance there is nickel, which may cause allergic reactions. Therefore, you do not have to get 24 karat gold jewelry but don’t look for cheap gold, or you will be buying jewelry that will make you very uncomfortable.
Rhodium
Rhodium is a metal that is hypoallergenic and costly. But you are getting excellent quality jewelry made with this metal. The other thing about rhodium, aside from not causing allergic reactions, is that it lasts for a long time as it does not tarnish. That is why you will see rhodium as a finish to sterling silver and white gold, so it can help jewelry made with those metals to last longer. Therefore, if you want to get jewelry that will last a long time that will not leave you with hives and rashes, rhodium-made jewelry is a great option. Be prepared to spend a lot of money on it, however.
Platinum
Platinum is in the same family as rhodium as it is a hypoallergenic metal that also does not tarnish and will not cause allergic reactions. Additionally, this metal is highly durable, and it is strong. Therefore, you will consider investing in platinum-made jewelry so you can potentially pass it down to different generations.
If you have a daughter, you can pass your platinum jewelry onto her. If you have a son who gets married and gets along with his wife, you can pass it down to her if you do not have daughters. If you don’t have kids, you can also pass it on to your nieces and nephews. That is why many people are open to investing in this expensive metal.
Argentium
You may have heard that sterling silver is not always hypoallergenic, and there is truth to it because the lower quality type is not. However, some silvers are hypoallergenic, and Argentium is one of those silver types that is. Argentium is tarnish-resistant and recycled silver, which is eco-friendly and reduces harmful emissions and pollution. In addition, the silver is bright in most cases when hardened with germanium.
Therefore, if you like silver instead of gold but don’t trust silver, you will want to go for Argentium. The silver type is expensive, but once again, you won’t suffer if you wear it and have it for a long time.
Is Sterling Silver Notorious For Causing Allergic Reactions?
Pure silver is hypoallergenic, which is why Argentium comes close to that. However, even though sterling silver is almost pure silver, it can compose other types of metal that are not hypoallergenic. For example, inexpensive sterling silver usually contains nickel which causes allergic reactions. Therefore, you will want to steer clear of cheap sterling silver. In some cases, sterling silver contains copper, which is also hypoallergenic. However, copper can turn green because of oxidation which will give the jewelry a strange color.
You also never want to get silver-plated jewelry because the coating contains a small amount of silver on top of a metal that will cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, if you want to get silver jewelry without worrying about having an allergic reaction in addition to it lasting, go for Argentium.
Conclusion
If you are looking for the best-quality jewelry, you need to understand the metals to look for that are hypoallergenic. That is the first thing to do. Secondly, you need to read labels and examine prices. Not all metals will be pure such as silver and gold. However, you need to know what other metals are in the jewelry, so you do not end up with the unpleasant surprise of having rashes and hives. Therefore, read labels, don’t go for the cheapest kind of jewelry, and talk to jewelers to know what you are purchasing. You want your jewelry to make you happy and to last a long time as well.
