All the jewelry I wear gives me a rash.” Can you relate to this statement? This allergic reaction to some metals is commonly referred to as dermatitis. The Nickel found in many types of jewelry is the cause of most forms of dermatitis. Allergies to Nickel are quite widespread. Nearly one in seven people experience an allergic reaction to Nickel. Women suffer more than men from Nickel allergies. This is probably due to the fact that more women wear jewelry then men, so they are more exposed to jewelry with Nickel content. So what types of jewelry metals should one avoid if they are allergic to Nickel?
Let’s firs take a look at Gold jewelry. Generally, jewelry made from yellow Gold (14 karat and above) usually doesn’t cause Dermatitis. However, white Gold may. White Gold contains Nickel and other “white” metals to produce its Silver coloring. One out of every nine people will react to the Nickel in white Gold. Another form of Gold jewelry is Gold-filled or “GF” jewelry. Gold-filled jewelry metal is created when a base metal is coated with a layer of Gold. This results in a much thicker layer of Gold in relation to Gold-plate jewelry. With Gold-filled jewelry, the amount of Gold contained in the jewelry is between 75-200 times higher in Gold content than in that of Gold-plated products.