Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I am allergic to my engagement ring

54 replies

FiddlesticksAndCustard · 19/01/2019 13:19

Always had slightly sensitive skin, ring is white gold and is causing a really painful rash on my finger.

I'm gutted as I love it and don't want to take it off! Does anyone have any recommendations for allergy coatings/home remedies?

OP posts:
Sugarplumfairy65 · 19/01/2019 19:43

It's a nickel allergy. 9ct white gold is notorious for it. My husband had to buy me new rings in 18ct and I've not had a reaction to these.

SharkSave · 19/01/2019 20:03

I find making sure I dry under them properly and not wearing them in bed stops it happening to me

Mummymummums · 19/01/2019 20:16

I have this with my platinum ring but only the one with a hollow area behind the solitaire so I know it's from soap.

Original poster
FiddlesticksAndCustard · 19/01/2019 21:25

It is hallow underneath the top in parts. The back doesn't seem to irritate at all which is the non hallow section.

OP posts:
Alpacanorange · 19/01/2019 21:39

White gold is mixed with alloys, it could be that.

willowtree28 · 19/01/2019 21:43

I occasionally get used to get this in the winter under my engagement ring (platinum), it was like tiny little hive bumps, red and mega itchy. I strangely never got it in the summer. Anyway, I only wear my wedding ring now and that doesn't do it, thankfully.

nocoolnamesleft · 19/01/2019 21:53

I'm fine with 18k yellow gold, but have had problems with white gold: apparently it quite often contains nickel, to which I'm sensitive.

GreenTulips · 19/01/2019 21:56

I had a hollow 18 ct gold ring - same issue with moisture being trapped

You can get them professionally filled in - check with a decent jeweler

PennyWishes1 · 19/01/2019 21:57

I used to get that all the time. Realised it was hands not being dried properly and that at night my hands are warmer in bed so they swell very slightly. I found that drying carefully all around the ring when washing my hands and taking them of at night did the trick.

Fluffyears · 19/01/2019 21:58

I have platinum rings and just lately (had them ten years) I have eczema just in that part of my hand. I actually have two bright red bands round my fingers. Indry my hands really well and dry my rings separately and it’s not helping :(

kalefire · 19/01/2019 22:12

Yes I had this for the first few months when I got my ring. Contact dermatitis!

Hydrocortisone cream fixed it up and I just had to make sure if I washed my hands with soap that I would rinse them properly.
Had the ring on five years now and it's fine Smile

OccularPatdown · 19/01/2019 22:14

Assuming you're in the uk? In which case there won't be any nickel in the mix. Agree with pp, sounds like it's the gap collecting water/soap and irritating your skin - take the ring off when washing your hands and take it off at night too.

9ct white gold tends to be alloyed with silver, so if you have any issues with silver it could be that. A lot of white gold is rhodium plated, but not always - rhodium is non reactive so if it isn't already, you can try having the ring plated with that to form a protective coating between the problem metal and your skin.

DeadButDelicious · 19/01/2019 22:22

I can't wear my white gold engagement and wedding rings anymore. Every time I put them on I'd get a terrible red blistered rash, taking them off to wash up etc and keeping them super clean made no difference. I've recently switched to a sterling silver set and have had zero issues since.

frugalkitty · 19/01/2019 22:26

I developed an allergy to my wedding ring, 18ct gold, and can no longer wear it. We had a copy made in platinum. I think allergies to white gold are quite common, if I were you I'd consider having the stones reset in platinum or silver.

PoutySprout · 19/01/2019 22:27

Assuming you're in the uk? In which case there won't be any nickel in the mix.

Since when?

frugalkitty · 19/01/2019 22:28

I should say that mine is 18ct gold, gold not white gold. A couple of jewellers I spoke to about it were adamant I couldn't be allergic to gold which wasn't helpful. If I put DHs ring on it starts making my finger itch within seconds.

RMA35 · 19/01/2019 22:40

If it's not a reaction to soap and you think it could be the metal then there are Regulations about maximum levels of nickel in a hallmarked precious metal ring sold post c-2012-3. If the ring is a recent purchase (sorry if i've not noticed anything about whether the ring is a recent purchase in your posts) then you might want to ask the jeweller who sold it to confirm the specification of what they've sold to check the metal content in the ring and plating. Try not to be fobbed off as they should be able to do this easily.
‎
If it is an allergy and you can't bear to/afford to have a copy made in platinum then you might get some benefit from having it plated in platinum which for some people can be less skin-reactive than the flash palladium coating put on some white gold (as the 'white' gold often doesn't tend to be white). If you want to explore this, you might find it significantly cheaper to try a trade firm in somewhere like the Birmingham Jewellery quarter rather than a high street jeweller.‎

PoutySprout · 19/01/2019 22:40

The Assay Office certainly expects white gold to contain nickel......

theassayoffice.com/white_gold_labexpert

Gth1234 · 19/01/2019 23:12

Take it off for housework. It will only wear and damage. Do you have a wedding ring. That won't have setting - does that cause problems?

BuffaloCauliflower · 20/01/2019 09:01

@OccularPatdown that’s just not true, there can certainly be nickle in the mix. Many places don’t know because of allergy but certainly not all.

OccularPatdown · 20/01/2019 09:11

I thought the regulations meant no nickel at all. You learn something new every day!

PoutySprout · 20/01/2019 10:21

My issues were prior to the regulations anyway.

SheilaBruce · 20/01/2019 11:06

If you do get a rash, sudocrem works a treat! Smile

Topofthehills · 20/01/2019 11:14

I had the same with my (platinum) wedding ring - it was moisture/soap residue. (I also have eczema.)

I had been wearing it 24/7, but I realised that's not feasible. I need to take it off at night, and make sure the ring and the skin are dry after I wash my hands. I also don't wear my ring for washing up and cleaning.

It cleared up in a week or so and hasn't come back since (apart from when I started trying to wear it overnight again -error). I wore the ring on my other hand until it completely cleared up.

Keep the ring clean by putting it in warm water with a tiny bit of washing up liquid and swoosh it around a bit. Make sure everything is dry.

Worth a try before anything more expensive.