Metal Earwire Sensitivity

Photo by Rena Klingenberg

This morning I had an excellent question in my inbox from Rachel asking about cooper ear wires and metal sensitivity. I have tried to pick through the wide variety of information on the internet to come up with the information below. Ultimately there are no definitive answers as your sensitivity can depend on so many factors including your age (hormones), the weather (hot?), and how the item was made. As with many things, there are exceptions to every rule!!


Here are some basics on metal allergies:
*Nickel is the big culprit in metal allergies. Avoid it. It’s the most common metal allergy, and occurs in approximately 10% of the population. Base metal, iron, goldplated, gold & surgical steel contain nickel.

* Surgical steel which is touted for those with allergies can occasionally contain trace amounts of nickle.

*Aluminum is good for most people, but not often used.

*Copper is a pure metal — it does not contain any other metals. Is is fairly inert and allergies to it are rare, but there are folks who react to it. If you are able to wear sterling silver, it is likely you will be fine with copper. Will copper turn your skin green? It is possible if you wear it very long term. But to wear a pair of earrings for a day? No. Fun fact: Copper is antimicrobial & 100% recyclable.

*  Brass is an alloy of copper & zinc. It is good for most people, but there are folks who react to it.

* High-carat gold (over 14kt) does contain trace amounts of nickle, but usually not enough to cause sensitivities. Rose gold contains a higher percentage of copper and white gold has the highest concentration of nickel

* In Gold-filled (GF) jewelry the gold is permanently bonded to the base metal. It has an approximately 50-100x thicker coating of gold than gold-plated jewelry, so it can be worn longer. Gold-fill pieces do contain trace amounts of nickel, and may need to be avoided for those with extreme sensitivity.

* Silver or gold plated are made of a base metal (usually copper, but sometimes iron, nickel or zinc), which then undergoes a process called “electroplating” to coat the surface of the metal with a thin plating of metal (either sterling silver or 14kt gold). Jewelry finished in this way is generally not ideal for long-term wear, as the plating can wear off over time. For those with metal sensitivities, this means that once the plating begins to wear, the underlying metal will be exposed and can cause irritation. 

*Fine (995) silver is good for most people, but there are folks who react to it.

* Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. It can have a trace amount of nickle. It is good for most people. Sterling silver can leave black marks on your skin due to a reaction with the copper content & the tarnishing of the jewelry. To avoid this, remove jewelry when showering and dry completely before wearing.
 
 *Pure niobium or grade 23 titanium are good bets for very sensitive ears. They are expensive and you do not see them used very often. (I do have anodized niobium earwires in blue, green, fushcia and grey that I can substitute on request.)






Tips for reducing sensitivities:
* Avoid wearing the offending metals for extended periods of time.
* Do not get jewelry wet: Moisture trapped between the metal and your skin can increase your chances of sensitivity.
*Avoid base metals when you’re perspiring: nickel breaks down quickly in the presence of sweat (salt), and can cause your skin to flare up — this is why many people find metal allergies “worsen” in the summer months.

As we age our reactions to metals change (thank you hormones!) If you have a pair you love and you start reacting to them, an occasional coat of clear nail polish on the earwire should help.

**Information for this article was collected from various sources including Rena Klingenberg's Jewelry Making Journal and The Art of Brilliance Found Jewelry.

Metal Allergies Part II

As I mentioned in my last post, many findings (clasps, ear wires, bead caps, etc) used to be made with nickel. Since so many people are allergic to nickel many manufacturers are now using brass as a base metal for plated items. Brass is made up of a mix of copper and zinc and is a good surface for electroplating. Allergies to copper and brass are rare.

The majority of the findings I use are electroplated, either silver or gold, over brass. I have also begun using copper filled sterling, which is silver electroplated over copper. In electroplating a coating of silver or gold is chemically deposited on base metal. The coating layer is then bonded to the base metal via electric current. The quality of plating is determined by the thickness of the coating. For silver-plated items they can also be given a coat of lacquer to prevent tarnishing. Yes, silver plate does tarnish - it is silver!

Choosing to use plated findings allows me to keep my prices very affordable and I feel it does not sacrifice quality. I have sliver-plated earrings that I have worn for many, many years. A few have become discolored with a patina, but most look just as they always have.  Please visit this post that I did last July to learn more about silver plate.

Here are some of the other metals I use in my work and their components: 

Brass is 70% copper and 30% zinc. 

Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin

Gunmetal is 85% copper, 5% tin, 5% lead, 5% zinc. Often plated over brass or surgical steel.

Argentinium silver is a mix of silver, copper and germanium

Sterling Silver, sometimes stamped .925, is an alloy of at least 92.5% silver, and (usually) copper

Surgical and stainless steels  are slightly more gray than silver. Mixture of steel, chromium, and nickel. Surgical stainless steel used in jewelry has approximately 8% nickel, but it is so tightly bound that it cannot leach out and this is why it is recommended for people with metal allergies.

Pewter includes any of the numerous silver-gray alloys of tin with various amounts of antimony and copper. Most products are made with a lead-free pewter and have a surface finish over the pewter.  "Antique pewter" or "antique brass" may be brass or zinc with an antiqued pewter or antiqued brass plating. In nearly all cases, these zinc or brass alloys meet lead-free criteria. 

Gold or Silver plate is a very thin deposit of real gold or real silver, electroplated or electrochemically applied to the piece. It about 1/1,000-1/1,000,000 of an inch thick. Heavy electroplate might be 2 or 3/1000s of an inch thick (this can also be written as 2 or 3 mils).

Niobium is hypoallergenic and is a great alternative for people who are sensitive or allergic to other metals. Represented with the symbol Nb, it is mined from the crust of the earth. Because it  is such a rare metal, it is worth several times the value of silver. In jewelry niobium is put through an anodizing process that brings out the metal's characteristic iridescence. The colors do not rust or come off, but may become dull over time. Niobium jewelry, though sturdy, should be treated gently. Clean it with soapy water and dry it off by rubbing it lightly with a dry towel.

Metal Allergies Part I

Copper filled sterling silver ear wires

So many customers come into my booth and tell me they are allergic to various metals. Because of this I have been doing some internet research on metal allergies. While I am by no means an expert, I thought it would be worth sharing with you some of what I have found.

Statistics indicate that metal allergies affect about 12% of the population. A very common metal allergy is to nickel. Many findings (clasps, ear wires, bead caps, etc) used to be made with nickel, but manufacturers are now using brass instead. Brass is a mix of copper and zinc and is a good surface for electroplating. Copper or brass allergies are rare.

Copper Earrings

Nickel-testing kits are available through dermatologists, pharmacists and online and do not require a prescription. Simple to use, you place a drop on a cotton swab and rub the jewelry. If the cotton turns pink, nickel is present. The solution is not harmful to your jewelry. Be aware other items may also cause nickel allergy. They include cell phones, eyeglass frames, coins, zippers, door and cabinet hardware, tools, metal buttons and snaps, and some fabric finishes.

Other jewelry options for those with nickle allergies are niobium, sterling silver, 14kt gold, or plastic ear findings. Be careful of things that say they are “nickel-free” as most of these items will contain a very small amount of nickel! There is not yet a U.S. standard for this.

Niobium ear wires come in bright blue, purple and green. 

You can also try painting the offending part with clear finger nail polish or other coatings sold in jewelry or bead stores for this purpose. They will wear off over time and need to be re-applied.

The next post in this series will be about some of the other metals I use.

Here are links to some of the articles I read in my research: 

www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34876.asp

www.jewelrystar-handcrafted-designer-jewelry.com/metal-allergy.html 

http://www.rings-things.com/METALS.HTM

If jewelry you’ve been wearing for years suddenly causes a reaction – medicines or hormone changes can alter body chemistry and change the chemistry of your skin oil or perspiration.