What is the best non-allergic material?

[KarinK]

Today my darling daughter summoned more courage than ever before in her ten years of living, and green in the face and tears in her eyes from fear she had her ears pierced.

I have a sweet pair of half drilled vintage akoya I want to make into posts for her as she will need something other than dangling, flashy earrings from time to time, especially during the first year. And while she doesn't have any allergies so far, I would like to keep it that way so what metal should I use for the posts, do you think?

- Karin

 

[MSC]

stainless steel is pretty much the standard for ear piercing in the US (I used to pierce ears at a store as a teenager). I'm sensitive to base metals, but I can handle stainless steel in my ear lobes. Some people are allergic to the different alloys in sterling silver or gold. If she's not allergic to fine silver, you may want to go that way as well. Not sure who, if anyone, produces fine silver posts. Rio Grande has a limited variety of stainless steel posts for pearls.

 

[pearlescence]

Avoid nickel which is notorious but not banned in the US (It is throughout the EU)

 

[KarinK]

Thankfully she's not allergic to anything at this point and I applaude the business that now injects plastic earrings for the holes, to be left in for six weeks.

So would silver be okay, do you think?

- Karin

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I actually find sterling silver (925) more irritating than 14K gold. I do use silver but tend not to wear it for as long a period.

 

[pearlescence]

Pearls Dreams, check for nickel. Try with EU sourced silver. It's usually the nickel

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Oh, I realize it's the nickel. It's not a huge problem that I need to find a solution for. I do wear silver-- just not as much as gold.

 

[pattye]

Wow, good for Ida! Stainless steel should work if from a reputable source. Fine silver is pretty soft, so if used might be too thick a post for her ears. 14K yellow gold is usually ok. The good US jewelry suppliers are very aware of nickel allergies, and many of the catalogs I see note compliance with EU standards. Titanium hooks are inexpensive and a good option as a very pure metal, though I haven't seen it in post style.

Karat white gold is more likely to contain nickel as an alloy than yellow gold.

 

[GemGeek]

Good advice. I would start with some very low profile 14k yellow gold post earrings, such as flat hearts or very small balls or gemstones and save the pearls for later when she is more used to wearing earrings. She's a brave girl.

 

[KarinK]

Thanks for the input!

Since yesterday I have been pulling disgarded earrings out of my storage and my daughter has quite a collection already So fun to remember when I bought the tiny dangling pearls in San Francisco and the small, grey freshwater studs I fell in love with at 14 and saved for three months to buy (and I thought my love for pearl was a new thing, had forgotten about those...). And the white freshwater I bought my second time in San Francisco aaaages ago because I didn't like the perfect round pearls...

I suggested to Ida we'll get her two little boxes. In one she can put the earrings she uses and in the other she can put the ones I pass on to her that she doesn't care to wear at the moment

The titanium hooks are a great idea. They make earrings at her club but I don't quite trust the metal in the hooks. It would be ideal to have a safe set of hooks she could put her creations on, preferably interchangebly.

For the akoya's I think I'll get her 14K gold. She already has a couple of studs in silver passed on to her now.

- Karin

 

[KarinK]

Good advice. I would start with some very low profile 14k yellow gold post earrings, such as flat hearts or very small balls or gemstones and save the pearls for later when she is more used to wearing earrings. She's a brave girl.

I keep telling her too. True bravery is facing what terrifies you and do it anyway. Though if the jeweler had not been able to pierced both ears at once I think she would have come away with a single hole.

I have two sets of the vintage akoya. They came with the tiara stash. So even if she loses one or two, we're still okay.

- Karin

 

[lilliefuzzysocks]

Here is a chart of metals that are either hypoallergenic or not. Sterling can be either way depending if the manufacturer alloyed the sterling with copper or nickel. Many have worn silver and had their skin turn green or black, they can be allergic also.

 

[pattye]

Do you know the source for this chart, Lilliefuzzysocks? And when it might have been put together? I've heard it said that there is no "true" hypoallergenic metal; it depends on the person. Thankfully, there is much more recognition in the US of nickel allergy and manufacturers declaration of EU compliance.

 

[lilliefuzzysocks]

Pattye, I had the chart saved since about 2008 on my computer. It came from a company called Wright and Lato. W&L was sold to Novell Design Studio. Your will see the same ring styles on their new site. http://www.novelldesignstudio.com/ Since W&L was a United States company their gold is alloyed with different standards than Italian gold which I believe doesn't allow nickel in the alloy ingredients. Other countries may do the same, but I don't have information on that.

 

[lilliefuzzysocks]

Here is the updated chart on the Novell site. http://www.novelldesignstudio.com/choosing_your_metal/index.php

 

[pattye]

LFS,
Thanks very much for the link. You'll notice they've significantly upgraded white and yellow gold as far as hypoallergenic properties. Clearly both charts subtly support the promotion and sales of platinum products. Platinum is a wonderful metal, not to take anything away from it.

I don't recall ever having a customer allergic to 14k/18k yellow gold. Each company that produces gold seems to have a secret recipe for the blend of alloys.

 

[GemGeek]

I pierced my own ears at age sixteen. It really took all I had to do the second ear!

 

[BAS]

GemGeek -- I don't even know what to say. If we ever meet in person, I'd love to hear the details.

 

[pattye]

I pierced my own ears at age sixteen. It really took all I had to do the second ear!

Amazing you would do that! Yikes!!