Hypoallergenic Wedding Rings and Bands
What to Know
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People with metal allergies may experience redness, itching, or swelling when their skin comes into contact with certain metals.
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Several options for hypoallergenic wedding rings and bands are available to help you avoid having to deal with the symptoms of metal allergies.
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Other metals, such as platinum, and alternative metals such as tungsten, palladium, and titanium can make excellent hypoallergenic wedding bands and rings.
Understanding Metal Allergies
If you’re in the market for a wedding ring in Orange County, CA, you may wonder if there’s such a thing as an allergy-safe wedding ring. Metal allergies are an immune system overreaction to certain types of metal that may irritate the wearer on contact. Common symptoms of metal allergies include itching, blisters, redness, and swelling that occur when the skin comes into contact with the metal.
Fortunately, Jeweler’s Touch carries a wide selection of beautiful hypoallergenic wedding rings and bands to help you remember your big day with fondness.
Nickel: Why It’s Problematic
Many metals, like cobalt (as part of B-12) and nickel, can be in our bodies already, entering through food and our environment. But they are usually trace elements, and the form they take is not the same as when they’re used in wedding rings and jewelry. The most common allergy-causing metals include nickel and chromium.
Nickel is the top irritating metal. Some jewelry is made using this material. Nickel contains ions that can penetrate the skin and trigger an immune response in sensitive individuals, which may lead to allergic reactions. The metal ions bind to skin proteins, causing people who are allergic to nickel to experience symptoms immediately.
If you have a nickel allergy, look for wedding and engagement jewelry specifically labeled as nickel-free wedding bands and rings. It’s important to note that you may also be allergic to other types of metal that could contain nickel. For example, approximately 75% to 80% of stainless steel that is produced contains nickel. And even precious metals like 18K gold contain 25% of metals like copper, silver, and nickel.
People can have reactions to other metals, and not all metals labeled as hypoallergenic are suitable for everyone. Depending on the severity of your allergy, even wedding rings made from so-called sensitive-skin-friendly materials can cause a reaction.
In most metal allergy cases, the immune response affects the skin rather than the respiratory system. Common symptoms of metal allergies include:
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✔ Itching, redness, rash, bumps/eruption at contact site — common in metal allergy. Mayo Clinic
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✔ Blister-like or vesicular lesions can occur in more intense dermatitis. National Eczema Association
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✔ Dry, scaly, thickened skin in chronic cases is possible. Mayo Clinic
These symptoms may be caused or exacerbated by bacteria, excess moisture on the skin, or a buildup of soap or lotion under the ring. In most cases, symptoms will subside within a few days or weeks after removing the ring.
Best Hypoallergenic Materials for Wedding Rings
What are the best hypoallergenic metals for wedding rings? These alternative materials are an excellent choice if you’re looking for hypoallergenic wedding bands:
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Platinum: This precious metal is harder and more durable than gold. Wedding bands made of 950-grade platinum contain iridium, ruthenium, and palladium, making it one of the best and safest metals for sensitive skin.
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Palladium: When it comes to a safe, hypoallergenic metal, palladium is an excellent choice made from naturally occurring materials that come from the same group as platinum. It features a bright silvery-white appearance.
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Tungsten carbide: Often used in men’s and women’s wedding band sets, scratch-resistant tungsten is hypoallergenic.
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Titanium: Titanium wedding rings are hypoallergenic, retaining their silver color, and won’t rust or corrode. They’re easily cleaned with soap and water.
Benefits of Hypoallergenic Wedding Rings
There are many benefits of choosing non-allergenic wedding rings for your special day:
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No allergic reactions: When you choose a hypoallergenic wedding ring or wedding band, you won’t need to worry about allergic reactions like blistering, redness, itching, or swelling.
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More comfort: Wearing a material that is gentle on your skin provides a more comfortable experience for long-term wear, so you can fully enjoy wearing your wedding ring.
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Versatile designs: Like wedding rings and bands made from traditional materials, hypoallergenic rings are available in an endless array of styles and feature iconic gemstones like diamonds and more.
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Durability: Hypoallergenic metals like titanium and platinum are extremely durable, strong, and scratch-resistant for beautiful jewelry that lasts a lifetime.
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Easy maintenance: Metals used in hypoallergenic jewelry are less likely to rust, tarnish, or corrode over time, so you’ll reduce the amount of cleaning and maintenance needed to keep your jewelry looking beautiful.
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Safer: Hypoallergenic jewelry is specifically designed to be skin-safe, allowing anyone with metal allergies or sensitive skin to wear and enjoy their wedding rings every day with confidence.
Choosing the Right Hypoallergenic Wedding Ring
Follow these tips on how to choose the right hypoallergenic wedding ring and keep it looking like new:
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Look for a ring that lists the metal content as specifically as possible to make sure it only contains safe, hypoallergenic materials
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If you’re not sure whether you have a metal allergy, consider taking an allergy test.
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Choose a wedding ring that’s easy to remove so you can protect your ring from damage while swimming, showering, or sweating during exercise.
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Learn how to clean your new hypoallergenic wedding ring properly to keep it in good condition based on the metal and gemstone type.
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Avoid using cleaners that contain ammonia, which can damage metals and soften gemstones.
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Only use ultrasonic cleaners if the gemstone can tolerate the vibration.
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Browse the selection of hypoallergenic wedding jewelry available from Jeweler’s Touch, or schedule an appointment to design and create your very own custom wedding ring.
Find Your Perfect Hypoallergenic Wedding Band at Jeweler’s Touch
Jeweler’s Touch serves clients across the greater Brea and Whittier areas and all of Southern California. We are family-owned and provide custom-designed jewelry, engagement rings, wedding bands, fine jewelry, and timepieces. If you have a metal allergy, you’ll find a beautiful selection of quality hypoallergenic wedding bands and rings here. From platinum and titanium to palladium and tungsten, we carry a wide variety of wedding rings to make your big day special. Contact us today to learn more about our services and wide jewelry selection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can gold wedding rings cause allergic reactions?
Possibly. Gold wedding rings could cause allergic reactions if there are trace amounts of nickel in the alloy. Nickel is the main cause of allergic contact dermatitis and symptoms like redness, itching, dry skin, and blisters near and under the ring.
Are white gold rings hypoallergenic?
No, white gold rings aren’t necessarily hypoallergenic because white gold is an alloy that could contain nickel. If you want a white gold wedding ring, look for rings or bands that are coated with hypoallergenic rhodium plating to prevent irritation, or try nickel-free white gold alloys that use metals like palladium or platinum.
What’s the difference between nickel-free and hypoallergenic rings?
As the name implies, nickel-free rings don’t contain any nickel. Rings listed as hypoallergenic are less likely to cause an allergic reaction than some other metals. However, they could still contain traces of nickel, but the type of metal used to make the plating may not.
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