Hypoallergenic Metals: What are the best metals for sensitive ears?

If you have sensitive ears, and are looking for the best metals to invest in for your jewelry collection, this guide was made for you.

Long story short, you want to avoid nickel, which is commonly used for virtually everything.

Until recently, I shied away from making earrings, given that over the years, I've developed an allergy to nickel, but didn't know it.

I used to think that I was allergic to all metals, as even expensive “good quality” earrings still caused me irritation.

When I started making jewelry, I felt frustrated and limited, because I wanted to make earrings. 

They set the tone and make the first impression, and I thought I couldn't make them as I wouldn't be able to test them out for myself.

Yes, I knew that there were such things as "hypoallergenic earrings," but I had the misconception that they were primarily plastic or materials I wouldn't like to work with or wear.

Boy, was I wrong.

If you too have reservations about purchasing hypoallergenic earrings, then I hope this post helps clarify any questions you may have.

Before I get started, I thought it would be good to talk a little about my design process.

I do not make one-of-a-kind pieces or commissioned pieces.

Everything I create, I intend to reproduce and make as accessible as possible.

As such, I begin with a prototype, I test it, and I adjust as I see necessary.

I follow this process as a way of testing quality, form, and structure.

If pieces do not sit well or are challenging to wear – & I have made a few of these, to say the least – I may post about them on Instagram, but they do not make it to my shop.

Notably, earrings are the newest additions to my shop. 

You may be surprised as they have overtaken my inventory!

Knowledge is truly a gift and the reason I've changed course.  

You see, I have sensitive ears, and for a long time, I didn't understand the cause of my irritation, so I opted to not wear earrings at all.

That was fine on a personal level, but as I started focusing on creating vintage-inspired jewelry, I started getting a lot of requests for earrings and for matching sets.

Fulfilling these requests, to me, seemed impossible. 

I didn't want to sell something I hadn't tested. 

In response, I started researching earring sensitivity, its cause, and what in the world were hypoallergenic materials?

I went on a mission to find the best quality materials that were also affordable, and discovered the world of hypoallergenic metals.

I also wanted to understand what made a specific set of earrings or jewelry “hypoallergenic.”

I am happy to report that through this research, I've found various metals that are suitable and have FINALLY identified the culprit behind my irritation - nickel.

What if I told you that gold and silver have more in common with talc than with diamond?

In terms of hardness, they do.

Both gold and silver fall between 2.5 and 3 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, meaning that for these materials to be used to create fine jewelry, they must be mixed with other metals.

Here's a chart that outlines the harness of various popular metals and minerals in terms of hardness on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Soft metals - pure metals -  are often mixed with metals that have more desirable properties to create alloys that are stronger & more durable.

How do we identify soft metals? 

Each is measured against The Mohs Hardness Scale.

The Mohs Hardness Scale was developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs, a German mineralogist.

He selected 10 minerals with varying degrees of hardness and categorized them in a range from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).

Those closest to 1 were softer than those closer to 10.

To test the hardness of an unknown metal or mineral, he would scratch it with a known mineral from his scale.

If it scratched, it would mean that it is softer than the known material.

If it didn't scratch, it meant that it was stronger or harder than the known material.

Metals that are classified as"pure metals" are considered hypoallergenic metals.

These include 24K gold, stainless- -steel, platinum, titanium, niobium, and sterling silver.

The purest form of gold is 24K gold.

And while stunning, it is very soft and not suitable for making jewelry.

The solution is to alloy it, mix it, with other metals. For example, nickel or copper.

Stainless-steel is often marketed as hypoallergenic however, not all stainless-steel is created equally.

As noted by the Nickel Institute, more than two-thirds of the global nickel production is used to produce stainless-steel.

And the alloying element that makes steel “stainless “is chromium; HOWEVER, it's the addition of nickel that enables stainless-steel to become a versatile alloy.

According to Golden Age Beads, an eCommerce beading shop, the best hypoallergenic stainless-steel is marked as XC45 steel or 430 stainless-steel.

These usually have less than 1% nickel.

To my misfortune, I've found few retailers that have this identification for their products.

It may be that the demand for including this designation isn't there, or it may be that this form of stainless-steel isn't as accessible presently. I am not sure.

Platinum ebbs and flows in popularity, as does its cost.

It's 15 times rarer than gold; hence, it's often more expensive.

However, it's an ideal choice to use when creating fine jewelry, specifically when creating it for those who have a sensitivity to nickel.

It can be up to 95% pure versus that of gold, which is generally only 75%, according to this article by Keezing Kreations.

Pearlman’s Fine Jewelers published a Platinum 101 article where they further explained that it is an excellent metal for people with sensitive skin.

However, they warn that it is a dense material which isn't ideal for people to wear long-term as it could prove uncomfortable.

Fire Mountain Gems explains that nickel is found in titanium, but given that it is so firmly embedded in the metal, it is also categorized as hypoallergenic.

The strong bond minimizes the likelihood of an allergic reaction, making titanium a fine choice when looking for a hypoallergenic metal.

Niobium is a newer metal discovered in 1801 by English scientist Charles Hatchett.

It is a shiny, white, ductile, metal that, when exposed to air, forms an oxide layer.

This layer makes it turn various shades of blue, green, and yellow.

According to Chemicool, it is this layer of oxidation that makes niobium corrosion-resistant, and, therefore, a great choice when considering hypoallergenic options.

Fire Mountain Gems notes that niobium was only recently introduced into jewelry making.

This article by Jewelry Shopping Guide notes that 925 sterling silver is made of 92.5% pure silver, meaning the remaining 7.5% consists of something else.

The options vary between copper, zinc, germanium, silicon, platinum, and sometimes nickel.

These are meant to enhance the durability of the product made with silver; otherwise, they may be too soft to create lasting products.

In this video, I cover much of what I've covered in this blog post.

• Silver is hypoallergenic when combined with other hypoallergenic metals - which doesn't include  nickel
• Silver is very soft (2.5-3 on the Mohs Hardness Scale)

With these pieces of information in mind, let's also talk about how best to take care of your silver jewelry.

Do take your jewelry off when:

• Washing dishes
• Exercising
• Applying lotion
• Doing hard labor - i.e. moving
• Going to bed

Do NOT:

• Use a solution of baking soda and vinegar to scrub off your jewelry with an old toothbrush
• Leave your jewelry exposed to the air when you're not wearing it.

Do put away your jewelry in an airtight container when not wearing your jewelry.

You should try to prevent damage to your jewelry by taking it off: 

• Before going to bed
• Before washing dishes or taking a shower
• Before exercising or doing heavy labor

- AND at the end of your day, put it away in a safe container. 

Preferably, you should use an airtight container - like a Ziploc bag.

If you do wish to clean it at home, place it in a solution of soft soap and warm water for a few minutes, then clean it with a soft cloth.

If you wish to use a toothbrush, buy a new soft brush to avoid scratching and an unwanted chemical reaction.

Notably, pure metals are highly valued, but they do not make the best option when it comes to creating long-lasting jewelry.

As noted above, the purer the metal, the softer, the more malleable it'll be, and less effective as a raw jewelry material.

Often, a better option is filled or plated jewelry.

oNecklace.com wrote a detailed article titled - Differences between solid gold, gold-filled, and gold plated. 

While they mainly focus on gold, they describe methods used throughout metalsmithing.

Filled jewelry is created by pressure bonding a second layer of a new metal to another metal.

The process creates a synergy where one metal enhances the properties of the other and vice versa.

Plated jewelry is made by using electricity or chemicals to deposit and bond a very thin layer of one metal over another metal.

This layer can be as thin as 1/1000 to 3/1000, making it the most affordable option and the least durable option.

Over time, plated jewelry tarnishes and fades as the base metal coating breaks down.

Per WebMD, the most important thing you can do is avoid contact with the object that caused the reaction.

Hydrocortisone cream and antihistamine pills assist with mild symptoms.

For more severe symptoms, you may need a doctor to prescribe a steroid cream or something more substantial.

Personally, I've found a 3 step process that works really well: 

1. Cleaning my piercing, as well as the earring, with alcohol
2. Adding a dash of Neosporin to the affected area 
3. Putting away my earrings once the alcohol dries up in an airtight container until the next wear 

As someone with severe earring sensitivity, I try to be cautious and clean the earring hooks of my earrings before wearing them as well, and I'd do so with a little bit of alcohol. 

Honestly, after all my research, I do not feel comfortable with using the term "hypoallergenic earrings" definitively.

Nickel seems to be unavoidable. 

I also have concerns about using the term "hypoallergenic", as it seems to imply that it's suitable for people with sensitivity to all metals.

What about those who may have allergies to stainless-steel or silver or gold? 

Instead, I will note the metal used for each earring component. 

I will include as much information about the alloy mix and link back to this article for further reading.

As for which metals I'll use going forward? 

To start off, I will work with surgical stainless-steel components. 

They're readily available, versatile, and thus far have not caused me irritation.

Eventually, I would like to incorporate 24K Gold or rhodium-plated brass as it suits many vintage-inspired designs.

• Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=243&tid=44

• Nickel Institute: https://nickelinstitute.org/about-nickel/

• Hypoallergenic Definition: https://www.google.com/search?q=hypoallergenic+definition&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS756US756&oq=hypo&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j69i59j0i433i457j0i433l2j69i61j69i60l2.7644j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

• Geology.com: https://geology.com/minerals/mohs-hardness-scale.shtml#:~:text=Friedrich%20Mohs%2C%20a%20German%20mineralogist,easy%20or%20inexpensive%20to%20obtain

• Golden Age Beads: https://www.goldenagebeads.com/blog/hypoallergenic-metals-for-sensitive-skin.html

• Keezing Kreations: https://www.keezingkreations.com/education/about-platinum-jewelry

• Pearlman’s Fine Jewelers – Platinum 101: https://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/information/platinum-questions-and-answers/

• Fire Mountain Gems: https://www.firemountaingems.com/resources/jewelry-making-articles/c152

• Chemicool: https://www.chemicool.com/elements/niobium.html

• Jewelry Shopping Guide: https://www.jewelryshoppingguide.com/mood-ring-color-meanings/

• The Truth About Rhodium Plating – TEEDA: https://www.teeda.com/blogs/articles/the-truth-about-rhodium-plating

• Differences between solid gold, gold-filled, and gold plated: https://www.onecklace.com/tips/difference-between-solid-gold-gold-filled-and-gold-plated/

• WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/allergies/nickel-jewelry-allergy#1