There's a difference between allergic reactions and your skin turning green from cheap costume jewelry. THAT is from whatever plating the manufacturer put on the piece wearing off and exposing whatever is underneath to your skin. The discoloration will go away, and it's not gonna hurt you.
There's also a lot of people that mistake reactions from dirty jewelry as a reaction to the metal itself. This is probably what I see more often. People come in and complain that they're breaking out in a rash because they're allergic to their ring. So I look at it carefully under a microscope and it's terrifying. God knows what kind of plague some people are growing on their jewelry. It's awful.
If you wore the same clothes day in and day out, eventually, you would develop some skin irritation because the clothes would be filthy. Jewelry is no different. You gotta take it off and clean them. If I suspect that bacteria is the enemy in a case and not the actual metal, I advise that the customer to leave their jewelry off until the affliction clears up. After that, once their bling is clean, they can try it again and see what happens. Usually there isn't a problem.
I'm not trying to downplay allergies, I'm just saying let's not jump to that conclusion first. Some people really are sensitive to metal, and we need to cater to that.
Gold and silver are alloyed with other metals to change their nature and be more affordable. With gold, there's 10, 12, 14, 18, and 24 karat. (On a side note, Karat is for gold, Carat is for diamonds and gemstones, and carrot is a vegetable... it's all about the spelling) this of course is how we measure the different ratios of gold to alloys in the US. Europeans have a different set of numbers that they use to make the association.
Often, silver and copper are added to gold because Gold in its purest form is Very soft. We need something a little bit more sturdy for what people wear every day, so we mix in the alloys.
Personally, I find that if someone has a legitimate allergy, it's to Nickle, although, it could be other things.
I know it seems like I'm going off on a lot of different topics right now, but they all tie together I promise.
White gold is basically yellow gold mixed with Nickle and some other things depending on the manufacturer. The end result of the mix Is a dingy white metal, so the product is then dipped in rhodium to make it bright white. Rhodium is a member of the platinum family, and Platinum is hypoallergenic. If your white gold ring is giving you a rash and it's not dirty, try having it rhodium plated. The plating will put a barrier between the Nickle and your skin. The plate will wear off depending on how often you wear the piece and what it's exposed to, but it's a good fix for now.
You could also opt for a platinum setting and avoid the process of plating because platinum is naturally white. :)
Often, silver and copper are added to gold because Gold in its purest form is Very soft. We need something a little bit more sturdy for what people wear every day, so we mix in the alloys.
Personally, I find that if someone has a legitimate allergy, it's to Nickle, although, it could be other things.
I know it seems like I'm going off on a lot of different topics right now, but they all tie together I promise.
White gold is basically yellow gold mixed with Nickle and some other things depending on the manufacturer. The end result of the mix Is a dingy white metal, so the product is then dipped in rhodium to make it bright white. Rhodium is a member of the platinum family, and Platinum is hypoallergenic. If your white gold ring is giving you a rash and it's not dirty, try having it rhodium plated. The plating will put a barrier between the Nickle and your skin. The plate will wear off depending on how often you wear the piece and what it's exposed to, but it's a good fix for now.
You could also opt for a platinum setting and avoid the process of plating because platinum is naturally white. :)
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