Hypoallergenic & Nickel-Free Materials
NOTE: The following available materials are used for Alchemy Handmade products only. Products purchased from the Alchemy Fair-Trade section will share their material information in the product description.
DUE TO COVID-19 PRODUCT SHORTAGES:
We have now officially transitioned our Surgical Steel push-on backs to 430 Stainless Steel
430 Stainless Steel: contains less than 0.75% nickel, and some forms of 430 stainless steel meet the EU nickel directive (less than .05% nickel ion migration). 430 stainless steel has good corrosion resistance compared to non-stainless steel, but not as good as the 304 and 316 alloys. This makes it less popular for jewelry making than you would expect from its low nickel content but more popular for some due to its more hypoallergenic qualities.
OUR MATERIALS:
All of our standard earrings are made with Titanium posts with 430 Steel push-on backs (Nylon or Rubber backs are also available by request), both of which are generally considered to be hypoallergenic. However, we do like to remind our customers that hypoallergenic doesn't necessarily mean free of allergens for all.
The Titanium Posts, Steel backs, and the Sterling Silver posts & backs that we offer all meet the standards of EU Nickel Directive. If you have an allergy to nickel, you may want to stay away from the 14KT Gold-Fill as its base metals could contain trace amounts of nickel.
If your nickel allergy is severe you may also want to avoid the surgical steel backs and instead request the nylon backs. While 430 Steel does meet the EU nickel Directive requirements, and therefore is considered to have low enough nickel content to avoid reactions in most people, people with extreme sensitivities could experience irritation.
*If you would like the nylon or rubber push-on backs included with your titanium earrings, just leave a note on your order and we will be sure to include them! :)
METAL TYPES WE OFFER:
Titanium: is a very strong metal that's extremely resistant to corrosion. Because of this, it's frequently used in medical implants, and it's an excellent choice for people with nickel-allergies. Our titanium earring posts are Grade 1 ASTM F67, which is unalloyed commercially pure titanium, and meets the EU Nickel Directive.
Our titanium earring posts have either a Brittania pewter pad, or a stainless steel 430 flat pad which is completely coated by epoxy at the end of our earring-making process.
Surgical Steel: is a specific type of stainless steel which, while wearable by the majority of the population, does contain a small amount of nickel (to which some people are allergic), usually 8% in jewelry. Our surgical steel ear backs meet the Mayo Clinic recommendations as well as the EU Nickel Directive for stainless steel specifications.
430 Stainless Steel: contains less than 0.75% nickel, and some forms of 430 stainless steel meet the EU nickel directive (less than .05% nickel ion migration). 430 stainless steel has good corrosion resistance compared to non-stainless steel, but not as good as the 304 and 316 alloys. This makes it less popular for jewelry making than you would expect from its low nickel content but more popular for some due to its more hypoallergenic qualities.
Sterling silver: is defined as a metal alloy (blend) containing at least 92.5% silver. The most common sterling alloy is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Sterling components and jewelry made in the USA are often stamped "sterling." Goods made for international trade are often marked "925" indicating the 92.5% fineness. "Coin" silver is used in some countries and could be marked "900" or "800" depending on fineness. Most people can safely wear good quality sterling silver, but a few are allergic to silver or copper.
Gold fill: (also called gold overlay) is made by using heat and pressure to apply a layer of karat gold to a base of less costly metal. This produces a surface with karat gold. The minimum layer of karat gold must equal at least 1/20 of the total weight of the item. Gold fill is 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, so it lasts many years longer before wearing through the layer of gold. If you can wear 14Kt gold, you can most likely wear gold-fill items for quite a few years before you wear through the top layer to the brass or other base-metal beneath it.
WHAT IS "HYPOALLERGENIC"?
The term hypoallergenic means "below the normal level" of allergenic. The term was coined by the cosmetics industry in the 1950's, and became a popular marketing term for jewelry soon afterwards. Sometimes "nickel free" and "hypoallergenic" are confused as being synonymous, but this is not true. Hypoallergenic does not mean nickel-free, nor does it have a legal or medical definition for use in jewelry.
Since there isn’t a formal US definition of nickel free, and alloys vary, a good way to find items that are very low nickel, is to search for items that say they meet the EU Nickel Directive. Another method is to avoid alloys entirely, and focus on elemental metals such as niobium and titanium.
THE EUROPEAN UNION'S (EU) NICKEL DIRECTIVE:
limits the amount of nickel that may be released onto the skin from jewelry and other products. This type of measurement is distinct from measuring the percentage of nickel that exists in an alloy's composition. The Nickel Directive's migration limits are as follows:
- 0.2 micrograms per cm per week for post assemblies inserted into pierced ears and other pierced parts of the human body
- 0.5 micrograms per cm per week for other products intended to come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin.
The UK has also adopted the EU Nickel Directive as its standard. If you have customers in the UK or EU - or if you want to start marketing your jewelry in those countries - you'll want to comply with the EU Nickel Directive.
There is not yet a US standard for allowable amounts of nickel in jewelry, but if/when there is one, it will probably be similar to the European standard.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
https://www.rings-things.com/Learn/Nickel-Free/
https://www.rings-things.com/Learn/Nickel-Free/
Federal Trade Commission, National Gold and Silver Marketing Act
US House of Representatives document 15 USC 297
Jeweler's Vigilance Committee
Manufacturing Jewelers and Silversmiths of America
Jewelry: Concepts and Technology, reference book by Oppi Untracht
