Nickel-free earrings & allergic reactions explained.
Many people nowadays have a reaction to nickel and wish to buy nickel-free earrings. Allergy and allergic reactions seem to have increased. An allergic reaction happens when a certain chemical comes into contact with your skin or is ingested and causes an inflammatory negative process it may happen on your skin, internally or systematic. Unfortunately, because most of our components for earrings comes from China and Asian countries - we no longer have any control over what metals or chemicals are being used.Some gold, silver (silverplate or sterling silver, 925 silver) and platinum can also contain nickel.
Vintage and pre-owned from the 1990s may also contain nickel.
Nickel, nickel, nickel seems to be in many things.
Unfortunately, even if the jewellery makers strive to have nickel-free stuff - the Chinese or Asian supplier will use whatever is the cheapest and swear its nickel free. What are the jewellery makers going to do? If enough people complain they will stop buying from that supplier. But the Chinese/Asians will find someone else unbeknown to sell to as nickel free. Maybe if we brought the manufacturing industry back to the UK with our stricter controls that would be more useful?
Hypo-allergenic earrings. Well that's okay but they still may contain nickel and what are the allergens these earrings aimed at? Some people are allergic to enamel, silver, gold, even the nail varnish some use to coat the earring backs to make them less irritating.
Myself I am allergic to many things. I have a gold ring that I can only wear for a short while as it makes my finger red and itchy. I am also allergic to cucumber which I can eat. But put on my face and red wheels appear. Not that cucumber has anything to do with nickel free earrings. That is life my friends....
Here are some photographs of our earring unfortunately not guaranteed nickel free, because of their age.
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| Blue plastic earrings with post backs |
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| Monet made earrings that are nickel free |
