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How to Find Hypoallergenic Jewelry Metals

Man carrying a woman

What Kinds of Metals Are Hypoallergenic?

Some metals are more likely to irritate skin than other. Metals like nickel and brass are the common culprits for metal allergies. Nickel is the most cause of a reaction, because it is a popular alloy in fashion jewelry and with some precious metals. As a rule, preferring precious metals with a higher purity is a safer choice for people with skin sensitivity. Read on to learn popular choices for hypoallergic jewelry metals.

Platinum wedding band

Platinum

Platinum is a timeless favorite known for its bright white shine and lasting durability. The standard for platinum jewelry is 95% purity, because platinum doesn’t need to be alloyed with other metals for color or malleability. This precious metal can be more expensive and is most popular for jewelry, like wedding and engagement rings, that you’ll treasure over time.

 

SHOP PLATINUM RINGS

Sterling silver jewelry

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is popular choice for everything from rings to necklaces and bracelets to earrings. Genuine sterling silver is made up of 92.5% pure silver, and alloyed with 7.5% of other metals, typically copper. Real sterling silver jewelry is marked with a .925 stamp for authentication. It's also common to see sterling silver jewelry plated with rhodium, part the same family as platinum, which is both a hypoallergenic jewelry metal and more resistant to tarnishing.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT STERLING SILVER JEWELRY

Woman wearing gold bracelets

Gold

Not all gold jewelry is created equal. When choosing hypoallergenic pieces, remember the purer the better. 14K gold jewelry and up are your safest options, because the higher the karat the less risk you have introducing alloys that could irritate your skin. Yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold use different metal alloys to get their color, so keep this in mind when choosing what kind of gold is right for you.

Titanium wedding band

Titanium

The alternative metal titanium is known for its strength and durability, but it is also solid hypoallergenic option. Titanium used for jewelry is 99% pure. This makes titanium a great substitute for pure metals like platinum and can be more affordable too.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT ALTERNATIVE METALS

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