Although many decisions had to be made during LAVANI's beginnings, the production of earrings that would not cause allergies was one of the most clear decisions we had to make. We were not willing to create pieces of mediocre quality that would cause harm to our customers. That's why we did a lot of research on the subject.
Find out all about allergy-friendly metals and earrings.
Bearing in mind that not all people are the same and that what some people are allergic to may not be so for others, there are materials that are notoriously known to be highly prone to produce allergic effects. Despite this, there are still quite a few earrings made with them, and that is exactly why it is important to learn how to identify them.
INDEX:
1. What causes the allergy?4. Metals to avoid
Read on and find out what the name of all these metals is!
1. What causes the allergy?
There are many people who, after many occasions wearing earrings that have ended up causing allergies, have decided to stop wearing them, assuming that earrings "are not made for them".
Well, far from the earrings being the real cause of the problem, it is precisely the metals from which the earrings are made that are the cause of the whole problem.
What happens in these cases is what is called allergic contact eczema produced by the sweat generated by the body which, when the earrings are in contact with the skin, causes the metal they are made of to penetrate the skin causing allergic reactions characterized mainly by the sensation of burning, redness and pain.
Therefore, it is extremely important to take into account the concept of "hypoallergenic metals" when choosing the earrings we buy because, depending largely on the qualities and metals with which they are made, they may or may not be more prone to create allergic reactions.
What does hypoallergenic mean?
Hypoallergenic means "below normal" or "slightly allergenic". What does this mean then?
Well, this means that when such metals are used to make jewelry, it does not mean that it is impossible for them to cause allergy, but that the likelihood of skin reactions is much lower.
This happens because, although there are materials that, in themselves, do not cause allergy, in most cases, in jewelry materials are not used in their pure state because it makes them much more difficult to work, but alloys are used with other metals that allow the piece to be much more manageable, facilitating its manufacture.
Therefore, trying to reduce the probability of reaction as much as possible makes hypoallergenic materials ideal for sensitive and delicate skin susceptible to this type of reaction, as they are based on materials that are gentle and delicate to the skin.
3. Metals that do not cause allergies
Gold
Pure gold is 24K. This means that it has 999.9 parts per thousand of pure gold. Since gold is a material that does not produce allergies, the ideal for these cases, would be to wear pieces made entirely of 24K gold.
However, since it is a very soft material, it is important to use gold alloys with other metals that, if possible, are not very aggressive to the skin, resulting in the use of 22K or 18K gold, as in the case of the 22K gold-plated Sevilla earrings, making them an ideal type of earrings that, in addition, do not cause allergies.
Silver
As with gold, silver is a type of material that cannot be used in its pure state because it is too soft a metal. However, silver, combined with another metal that increases its hardness and durability, can be a good hypoallergenic material with which to avoid this type of reaction.
That is why, when making silver pieces, it is usually made with 925 silver or, also called, sterling silver, whose name lies in the fact that it is composed of 92.5% silver and 7.5% of another metal such as copper or brass, which makes it a moldable material in its manufacture, while making it one of the materials that do not give allergy.
Therefore, if you are looking for earrings made with this type of hypoallergenic material, the Cocodrile earrings made of 925 silver and 24K gold plated, may be your perfect piece!
Steel
Surgical steel is another material that is well known for its hypoallergenic properties, its hardness and resistance to deterioration.
This steel usually consists of a steel alloy with chromium and sometimes nickel. However, although it is known as a hypoallergenic material, it is important that nickel does not predominate in its composition, as the latter material is known to have allergenic characteristics.
4. Metals to avoid.
Cadmium
Cadmium is one of the materials used to make jewelry known for its significant harmful effects on the body. It is cheap because it is a by-product of the processing of more valuable metals such as zinc and copper. It is therefore used in alloys with other metals to increase their strength and malleability. However, although the economic effort involved is less, cadmium is one of the metals known to cause allergies that should be avoided. None of the LAVANI earrings carry this material!
Nickel
Nickel is one of the materials used in some pieces of costume jewelry that cause the most skin reactions. Approximately 10 to 20% of the population is allergic to nickel. This metal is commonly used in jewelry because it is an inexpensive metal with powerful bleaching effects. That is why, as we mentioned before, sometimes better quality metals are mixed with other metals such as nickel to create alloys that are more moldable and allow them to be whiter.
These alloys sometimes contain proportions of up to 5% nickel, which can be sufficient to cause significant allergic reactions. Therefore, materials such as these are raw materials that we were clear from the beginning that LAVANI would not use.
Tin
Like the two previous ones, Tin is characterized for being a malleable and corrosion resistant metal, which makes it a very common material to use in alloys, but just as harmful as the previous ones.
That is why, when buying our jewelry, it is important to be aware of the metals with which they are made, as well as the alloys that have been used so that, in case we have a reaction, we can identify what kind of metals we are more susceptible to and thus be able to buy the earrings that do not give us allergy.
In our case, LAVANI earrings are 22K gold plated, without any material such as Cadmium, Tin or Nickel. In addition, they have a protective lacquer that is hypoallergenic and acts as a barrier between the ear and the earring.
Therefore, as a company in the sector, our recommendation is that, when buying jewelry, it is important that you always do it on a trusted site or a site where, at least, as customers, you can easily find information about the materials with which they are made. Once you have it, you can always refer to this post to really know which metals do not cause allergies!
Discover our collection of allergy-friendly earrings: https://lavanijewels.com/collections/pendientes