Gold Jewelry for Sensitive Skin

Nickel is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis in the US. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for limits on nickel in jewelry because of how common the allergy is, especially from ear piercing. Dermatologists point to earrings, earring backs, belt buckles and watch backs as frequent culprits.

A nickel reaction is not a stain. It looks like a red, itchy, sometimes bumpy or blistered rash where the metal touches skin, often starting 12 to 48 hours after contact. If that is what you see, the fix is choosing the right metal, not cleaning.

Gold	Gold content	Alloy content	For sensitive skin
10K	41.7%	58.3%	Most alloy; most likely to cause trouble
14K	58.3%	41.7%	Fine for many people
18K	75%	25%	Often recommended by dermatologists
22K to 24K	91.7% to 99.9%	Very little	Least reactive, but soft

Yellow gold alloys are usually gold, silver and copper, and many contain no nickel at all. The risk rises in white gold and in low-karat gold where a maker may use nickel to harden or whiten the metal.

White gold is not a natural color. Gold is made white by alloying it with a white metal, traditionally nickel or palladium, and then usually plating it with rhodium.

• Nickel white gold: harder and cheaper, but a problem for nickel-allergic skin.
• Palladium white gold: nickel-free, a little softer, usually more expensive.
• Rhodium plating: acts as a barrier at first. As it wears thin, often on the inside of a band, the alloy touches skin and reactions can start.

If you react to white gold, ask the seller what the alloy contains. If they cannot tell you, assume nickel. More on plating in white gold and rhodium.

Gold-plated jewelry is a thin gold coat over a base metal that may contain nickel. It feels fine until the plating wears through, and then the base metal sits on your skin. Plated earring posts are a common cause of irritated piercings. If your skin is sensitive, skip plated jewelry for anything you wear daily. Compare the three constructions in plated vs filled vs solid gold.

Earring posts sit inside a piercing, which is the most sensitive contact your skin has with metal. Solid gold posts are the safer choice, and so are solid gold backs: a gold post with a cheap base-metal back still puts nickel against your skin.

Simple 14K pieces, such as the Spark Diamond Solitaire Earrings ($740) and the Opera Diamond Solitaire Earrings ($1,000), are listed in 14K gold with the metal color you choose. For hoops, the Diamond Drizzle Huggies ($730) and the Sandra Hoops ($990) are also 14K. Our plain gold hoops, such as the Anna Small Hoops ($520), are 10K: fine for many people, but if you have reacted before, start with 14K. Ask about the alloy of any white gold earring before you buy if you know you react to nickel. Our guide on cleaning gold and cleaning diamond jewelry will help keep buildup, which can also irritate skin, off your pieces.

1. Pick solid gold, not plated or filled, for daily wear.
2. Choose 14K or 18K over 10K if you have reacted before.
3. Choose yellow or rose gold over white gold, or ask for nickel-free white gold.
4. Make sure posts and backs are both solid gold.
5. Keep pieces clean; soap residue and sweat irritate skin too.
6. Test a new piece for a few hours before wearing it all day.

A patch test from a dermatologist confirms exactly which metal you react to. That one appointment can save years of guessing. Learn more about karats in the gold karat guide, and why some pieces leave marks in why jewelry turns skin green. Does 14K darken over time? See does 14K gold tarnish. For keeping gold bright without harsh products, read how to polish gold at home.

Watch casebacks and steel bracelets sit on the wrist all day. Stainless steel contains nickel, but grades used in good watches release very little of it, so most people with mild sensitivity wear them without trouble. Gold watches add another option: an 18K case and bracelet is 75% gold. If a watch strap or clasp irritates you, try wearing it slightly looser so sweat does not collect, and clean the bracelet weekly.

	Stain	Allergic reaction
Looks like	Green, gray or black mark	Red, itchy rash, sometimes bumps or blisters
Feels like	Nothing	Itchy or burning
Washes off	Yes	No
Fix	Clean the piece, keep skin dry	Change the metal; see a dermatologist

There is no legal standard for "hypoallergenic" on jewelry in the US. A tag that says it tells you little about what the metal contains. The useful facts are the karat stamp, the metal color and, for white gold, the alloy. Ask for those instead of trusting the label.