Guide for Nickel Free Jewellery
What is nickel?
According to Wikipedia, Nickel is a silvery white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. The metal is hard, malleable and highly ductile. Pure native nickel is discovered in the Earth’s crust only a tiny amount. It is used in all types of metal objects because it is strong in nature and significantly low in price. Nickel is mainly used in all Jewellery. It is usually mixed with other types of metals to create metal alloys. You can always find a proportion of nickel in expensive white gold, titanium or other jewellery.
Why is nickel used in Jewellery?
Nickel is used widely in all types of jewellery. It is a very inexpensive metal and strong. Its amazing versatility and exceptional resistance to heat and corrosion have led to its use in a variety of Jewellery plus applications. It is a type of metal which bonds with other metals easily because of its property.
Apart from jewellery, it is used in all types of personal and household items such as buttons, watch bands or make-up equipment like eyelash curlers, cell phones etc. It is also used in some implantable medical devices. Also most importantly, it is used in batteries, ceramics and magnets in high quantities.
How can you recognize your allergy to nickel?
Why is Nickel-Free Jewellery important?
The allergy is the main reason why you seek out nickel-free jewellery. When you find nickel free written on the label, chances are your skin will not react to it. Some hypoallergenic jewellery may not have any nickel content on the body surface, but they may have nickel under the coating. After a few wear and tear the plating wears off and you are left with the nickel jewellery which touches your skin and causes allergies. Most of the jewellery looks cute when it’s new but its coating fades off, generally exposing the nickel body underneath. This is the reason you start to develop unpleasant allergic symptoms.
How can you protect yourself against Nickel in Jewellery?
There is a strategy to help you against the nickel in your jewellery. But most importantly you can purchase jewellery which does not contain any nickel. This case is hardly possible because even the most expensive metals like gold have some nickel in their component because of their highly hard nature.
You can use a barrier coating to keep you protected from the metal material. The protective shield prevents the release of nickel from an object. Lacquer can wear off easily so you can apply it whenever you want to use it.
Options for Hypoallergenic Jewellery
If you want to buy pure Gold or Silver jewellery to avoid nickel, it doesn’t exist. Gold and Silver are too soft in their pure forms to hold up as jewellery. Nickel adds strength and color. Plating like Gold and Silver is an option but not the best one. The best options you can go for nickel-free jewellery are hypoallergenic materials; the jewellery is titanium. They are most versatile, durable, non-allergic and comfortable to wear.
