Does anyone know anything about allergies to jewellery please?

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Since I have had the children I can't wear 9ct gold though it was fine before. Since having them I have tried white gold and I get a reaction with that too. I have never been able to wear cheap earrings for more than a couple of days and ones I paid £30 for also have the same affect. A couple of days ago I treated myself to these earrings and put them in late yesterday afternoon. This morning both my ears are sore. My left ear was sore from when I couldn't get a diamond earring out and both a tiny bit sore from wearing my £30 ones.

If I had worn the new ones with completely fine ears would I have been fine or is there something in the 5% which isn't platinum the problem?

I am pretty disappointed as I would never again be spending this amount on earrings and really don't want to up the budget. I am not sure what I could upgrade too when platinum is meant to be the purest metal.

it is probably an allergic reaction to nickel, apparantly you can develop allergies after pregnancy (I had a nasty reaction to prawns the other day).

If I wear earings with nickel in my earlobes swell up and get very sore.

Unfortunately nickel is used in lots of jewellery, whit gold, anything less than 14c other gold, silver and even platinum.

You can buy nickel free/hypoallergenic jewellery.

The only pair of earrings I have ever had which don't irritate are a pair of 99p 'silver' stars that I bought at a market!

I used to buy hypoallergenic earrings when I was younger but I seemed to have a problem with them too.

I am so gutted.

Thank you for replying.

In know I have a reaction to them too, like I say it is totally random. Is gold out of the question? Gold over 14 carats is ok, because nickel is used to stop silver/white gold/platinum tarnishing.

Maybe you could buy one really special pair, as a present to yourself

Don't know if it works but I've heard that you can paint the backs of earrings with clear nail varnish to stop the allergic reaction?

The platinum earrings were only £50 more so we figured it was worth getting those that there should be no problem with rather than get the diamond ones and have a problem. These were a special pair at £1550.

No way am I painting nail varnish on earrings that expensive, I think that would totally invalidate my insurance. I will try it on my cheaper ones though that have no insurance and can't be returned.

I can wear silver no problem but not white gold or hypoallergenic or cheap. 9c gold ok too. Have never tried platinum. I can wear any metal elsewhere, it is just my ears. If my ears do get sore a dab of lavender oil a couple of times a day sorts them out very quickly.

maybe do that to clear them up and try the platinum ones again?

That is the plan, MrsDinky. I have emailed to ask their advice too and have savlon on my ears atm as all I have in. Where would I be able to get lavender oil from and do you put it on neat? TIA.

health food shops, or probably larger chemists. I just use it neat, but am not pg or bf, would need to check if you were either. hope you get it sorted, am very of those platinum ones.....

Not pregnant nor feeding.

I have emailed the shop and they are going to see if there is nickel in the earrings. I am waiting until my ears are fully healed and then I might try them again.

Got to go, kids being sods.

Have just been having a quick Google about this, it seems there are laws specifically limiting the amount of nickel that can be used in jewellery, with tighter limits for items for piercing than for watch straps (for example). It sounds as though the limits are low enough not to trigger new nickel allergies, but not guaranteed to avoid a reaction if you are already sensitised.

Nickel guidance

This came into force in 2005, therefore it is pretty likely your earrings will meet this legislation (if they don't I would ask for a refund or mention Trading Standards to them!).

All of my experience with earring allergies was many years before this, I have not worn anything except silver or yellow gold for about 20 years, so I'm not sure where this leaves me or you, but it is interesting.

I think I have always had a problem with earrings since before the children but I have only got 2 other pairs that weren't cheapie ones and they are just for going out in the evening so I wouldn't be wearing them for days on end. The shop is going to see what else is in the earrings and get back to me. I think I will have time for my ears to heal and then try them again before Saturday as they are better this morning and should be all healed by Wednesday.

Thanks for answering me :).

As others have said I think it's nickel that's your problem.

DH has a nickel allergy and when we got our wedding rings the jeweller advised that he got newly made 9 carat gold, as newly made gold in europe doesn't have nickel in it. However lots of jewelery is made out of melted down and remolded gold and that's got nickel in it. My ring is 24 ct but has been something else before so they couldn't guarentee that it was nickel free although the higher the ct the more likely it is not to have nickel in it.

Thanks for that slimyak. I am still waiting to hear back from the jewellers if the earrings have any nickel in them.

In case this helps, white gold is plated with rhodium to make it nice and shiny, otherwise it would look a bit yellow. Eventually it wears off, which is why white gold has to be replated every so often. Wish now we'd spent an extra tenner and got the platinum version of my wedding ring - it's been replated 3 times, now.

Hi, I make and sell titanium posts/earhooks earrings. I have an nickel allergy and so does my daughter (over 12 years old) and as I make and sell crafts I decided to make my own hypoallergenic earrings. I make post earrings with resin flowers at the moment but I'll be expanding very soon. My titanium earrings average £5 - £6 and I have lots of feedback on ebay.

myworld.ebay.co.uk/prettycrafts

marketplace.asos.com/seller/prettycrafts/collection

This seems to be a common problem but you can wear earrings again if you try medical titanium or surgical stainless steel. Try delicateearrings.co.uk They have a range of pretty earrings for sensitive skin.