Skin reaction to Gold?

My girlfriend told me her mother has a reaction to 18 k gold...it turns her skin black or something? Is this possible? She thinks she might also have that trait. 14 k gold and platinum are ok (for her mom), but not 18 k gold. What would cause this?

I am having a wax model made now, so I still have a little time to pick a metal, but now I am leery of going with white gold. Would it be bad to go with 14 karat for a high dollar custom setting and 2+c stone, or should I just man up and shell out the few extra hundreds for platinum for the peace of mind?

(the question in all of this is this: has anyone heard of gold causing negative skin reactions?)

I would play it safe and go for a platinum setting.

Usually people who have a problem with white gold are reacting to the nickle in it.

You can get white gold made with paladium instead of nickle.

But if I were you, I''d go with platinum and not worry about it.

I know people who have this same reaction- gold turns their skin black. It seems to do this to my friends who are anemic (I'm not sure what the cause is). They can rub gold on them and it leaves a black mark. I know for sure that one friend has an 18k white gold ring and she seems to have no problem with the reaction. Ask your girlfriend if her mother is anemic.

ETA: I just found this, which seems to disprove the above theory. I guess it's all just individual reactions.

Q: When I swipe a gold ring down the side of my face, it leaves a black mark. A friend told me that means I'm iron-deficient. Is this true?

A: A black mark from gold? Impossible! So imagine our surprise when the trick worked on two members of our staff--and they are both anemic! To help us solve this mystery, the firm of Hoover and Strong, a Richmond, VA company that manufactures precious metal products, was kind enough to test 25 members of their staff using 14-karat yellow gold--an alloy of gold, silver, copper, and zinc. Seven employees got a black mark, and after a blood test, only one turned out to be anemic. So much for the anemia theory.
We found an explanation from Paul Kechijian, MD, of New York University School of Medicine, an expert in how diseases of the body affect the skin. Dr. Kechijian told us that a metal ring cannot diagnose iron deficiency. Any reaction is likely due to individual skin chemistry. "That's why one brand of perfume worn by 10 different women never smells the same." The gold ring test is fun, but only a blood test can diagnose iron deficiency, the main symptom of which is fatigue.

I have an 18K gold ankle bracelet that turns my skin black...and I am anemic.

My fingers will turn black and I wear 18K YG. It''s strange as it happens mostly when I work in my office. Something in the air? It''s a chemical reaction I was told. I have even had my rings rodium plated, but it wears off to fast. I just wash it off, a lot.

As I don''t wear anything by YG, platinum is not an option.

Spring for the platinum, figure the additional costs over the life of the ring. It''s easier to justify.

I have heard of people who couldn''t wear gold. My gut instinct would say that if there was any possibility of her having that happen, I would go with platinum. But, I am not sure what you budget is, so that may not be an option. If it''s not, get a simple, gold setting and if she has a reaction, upgrade then.