Finding earrings that work well for sensitive ears, can make all the difference on the comfort when wearing your earrings. If you have ever had an allergy or sensitivity to earrings, we understand- and it is the absolute worst! So let's chat about what metals to look for and avoid in your earring buying process!
How to know if you have an allergy-
It can be a little different on everyone, but most of the time a metal allergy will manifest itself as a rash, bumps, inflammation, or intense itching. These symptoms can come in varying degrees of severity, and and can develop the first time contacting allergenic metals, or after years of exposure.
What types of metals to avoid-
The most common earring metal allergy is nickel. A lot of affordable jewelry pieces unfortunately use nickel as their base. Because of this common nickel allergy, all of our earrings are always nickel free. So rest assured that if you have general sensitivity, none of our jewelry or earrings will ever cause irritation.
The best metal options for sensitive ears-
The least reactive, and therefore best metal for earrings, are titanium and medical-grade stainless steel. Also great options are sterling silver, rhodium, gold 14k or higher, and rhodium. It is important to note that the higher the carat grade for gold, the more pure it is and therefore the better suited it is for sensitive ears.
Gold Plating V. Gold Fill V. Solid Gold-
Solid Gold: As far as its durability and sensitivity goes, you can't beat solid gold. Hence it's very high price tag. Just like the name entails, that piece is created using only the material down to the core to create it.
Gold Plating: Gold plated items are coated in gold on the outside but are filled with a different metal or alloy in the center. Think of it like the book sleeve on a newly purchased hardcover. Gold plating can still be a fantastic option, just be on the lookout for items that have a carat grade, to show that they are created with real gold, rather than a gold coloring.
Gold Fill: Remember that book analogy? Gold fill is kinda like having a new hardcover book in which the sleeve and the hardcover are all made out of real gold, while the inner pages are still a different metal. On average, gold fill items have about 100x the amount of gold that gold plated items have. Because of their drastically thicker layer of gold, they are more durable to the elements and water, and are much less likely tarnish.
Rose & Clay's Sensitivity Scale-
We wanted to make the jewelry buying process a little less daunting for those of us that need to be extra mindful of our metals, so we created a Sensitivity Scale based on our research as well as personal experience and opinions to give you the most clear view of each jewelry piece we sell.
On each product we will "grade" each product on a scale of 1-5 as to how appropriate they would be for those with sensitivity-
5 being the best choice for even the MOST sensitive ears.
3 being a high quality and good option for most women with sensitivity
1 being only a good options for those with no metal sensitivity
Hopefully this adds some ease of mind and clarity when shopping! If you have any specific questions about metals or jewelry allergies, feel free to reach out to us!