Anyone heard of/ have an allergy to 14k yellow gold?

[Klb4556]

I had *one* run in recently with a 14k solid yellow gold wedding band I got online, I feel like there was a slight itch and tickle around the area, and when I took it off, it got better, and I tried it again, and same happened. I returned it.

Fast forward, now I need another yellow gold chain ( I already have one solid yellow necklace and I am totally fine with it, no issues whatsoever) but I'm really dubious about buying anything else for fear I have an allergy and won't be able to get a refund as easily at most places...

Am I right in that wouldn't I have issues to all 14k yellow if it was? isn't there a standard and that it's alloyed out pretty much the same all around and no matter where it's sourced from or is it different?

Thank you so much!

 

[lovetodream]

I am allergic to gold. (Boo). The higher the karat, the worse my reaction. I didn't acquire it until my mid-20's - started with a small rash on my neck by my ears and later I got reactions where my necklaces laid. Doctor told me it would probably eventually spread to thicker-skinned areas like fingers and wrists so I only wear platinum or sterling silver now. I'm now 44 and haven't tried gold in years because my last reaction was so miserable. I don't know if I can grow out of it like I grew into it or not.

People will tell you it's the nickel or many other things but, for me anyway, it was the gold. (Still booing)

I had *one* run in recently with a 14k solid yellow gold wedding band I got online, I feel like there was a slight itch and tickle around the area, and when I took it off, it got better, and I tried it again, and same happened. I returned it.

Fast forward, now I need another yellow gold chain ( I already have one solid yellow necklace and I am totally fine with it, no issues whatsoever) but I'm really dubious about buying anything else for fear I have an allergy and won't be able to get a refund as easily at most places...

Am I right in that wouldn't I have issues to all 14k yellow if it was? isn't there a standard and that it's alloyed out pretty much the same all around and no matter where it's sourced from or is it different?

Thank you so much!

 

[Gloria27]

. I don't know if I can grow out of it like I grew into it or not.

=

True, you can be allergic to something for some years and then not be. Someone I know acquired a food allergy later in life and it took 10-15 for her not to be allergic to that food anymore. The food was corn (and peanuts).

 

[lambskin]

My mom was allergic to nickel which is used in some jewelry. The higher gold content-18K AND 22K seemed to help. But if nickel is used in the alloy she had problems. She said platinum was fine. So if there was a piece she wanted to wear that caused a reaction then she applied clear nail polish.

 

[AGBF]

If you are allergic to "14K gold", you cannot know what metal in it you are allergic to. It is an alloy. There is actually no such thing as "solid" 14K gold except in that the 14K karat gold is in a solid state rather than a liquid or a gaseous state. By definition if gold is 14K the gold is mixed metals, not pure gold. only 24K gold is pure gold.

Other posters in this thread have explained that they found that they were allergic to the gold or to nickel in the 14K alloy. If you can isolate which metal in the 24K mixture you are allergic to, you can better control what gold jewelry you wear. (If you are allergic to gold itself, you may want to avoid gold!)

Deb/AGBF

 

[KaeKae]

I can react to 14 yellow gold. It's only ever happened with yellow gold, though it doesn't happen every time I wear it, and it only happens with rings. I assume because they are in constant contact with the same exact skin, where as a bracelet or necklace has more space to move a bit?

In my case, it's just that the skin under the rings and on the adjacent fingers will turn black. It's more likely to happen if I've worn the yellow gold for several days in a row and also more likely to happen with one particular ring. I have to assume that that piece has more of whatever alloy causes the reaction than my other pieces.

I've gone back to wearing yellow gold more often, after several years of focusing on my white pieces. So far, so good. Very little reacting, even to the one that causes it the most.

 

[LLJsmom]

I cannot wear 24k in my ears. No gold. Other than earring it’s ok.

 

[AGBF]

I love discussing gold!

 

[alene]

I’m allergic to nickel, but some 14k yellow gold causes a reaction also. Not sure what I’m reacting too, don’t think there nickel in yellow gold.

 

[AGBF]

I’m allergic to nickel, but some 14k yellow gold causes a reaction also. Not sure what I’m reacting too, don’t think there nickel in yellow gold.

You are right. There is no nickel in 14K, 18K, or 22K yellow gold. There is silver, copper and zinc as well as the gold, however.

Deb

 

[ennui]

For anyone allergic to nickel, jewelry from Italy is nickel-free. It's regulated by the EU. You can find the law with Google.

 

[AGBF]

For anyone allergic to nickel, jewelry from Italy is nickel-free. It's regulated by the EU. You can find the law with Google.

I never heard this, although I do not deny it. Most Italian gold is 18K anyway, and thus has less other metals added than the 14K gold used in the US. However, if the EU regulates Italy it must regulate the gold of all EU members. What on earth was the UK putting into their 10K gold when they belonged to the EU if they couldn't add nickel?

AGBF

Helpful link...https://www.jewelry-secrets.com/Blog/10k-versus-14k-gold/

 

[Rosa]

Sorry to hear you had the bad reaction to gold. I have been patch-tested by 2 different dermatologists and among many skin allergies were nickel and yes, sadly, even gold.

However, one interesting thing is I do wear some gold jewelry and have found that if the skin is cool and dry I will not get a rash. If it is hot or I sweat, I will get a rash. At a subsequent visit to one of the dermatologists I asked about this and he said that when you sweat the salts in sweat form an ionic solution (maybe I am mangling or misremembering the exact terms!) and that makes your skin more likely to react. But gold allergy is not all that uncommon among people who already have eczema / atopic dermatitis, as I do.
Below is a short abstract - the conclusion was that gold jewelry can give a clinically relevant reaction:

Contact Dermatitis. 2000 Dec;43(6):344-50.
Exposure to metallic gold in patients with contact allergy to gold sodium thiosulfate.
Ahnlide I1, Björkner B, Bruze M, Möller H.
Author information

Abstract
Gold allergy is common, with approximately 10% of patients patch tested because of eczematous disease being positive to gold sodium thiosulfate (GSTS). However, clinical relevance seems to be rare. The aim of this prospective double-blind study was to demonstrate the effects of exposure to metallic gold, in this case earrings, in gold-positive patients. 60 female patients with pierced earlobes test-positive to GSTS were included in the study. The patients were randomized into 2 groups, 30 patients receiving earrings with a surface layer consisting of 24-carat gold and 30 patients earrings with a surface layer of titanium nitride, virtually indistinguishable from gold. The patients wore the earrings for 8 weeks. During the study, any dermatitis on the earlobes, as well as on other body sites, was registered. The skin reactions observed were weak but, in total, 17 of the 60 patients had a skin reaction (local or remote) during the study, 12 of whom had received gold earrings and 5 titanium (p<0.05). 11 patients had a reaction on the earlobes, 7 of whom had received gold earrings and 4 titanium (NS). With these facts it is hard to exclude that exposure to gold jewelry can be clinically relevant in persons hypersensitive to gold.

 

[embdiva]

My mother was highly allergic to gold. However, it didn't start until she was in her 50s and one day she put on her favorite pair of gold hoops earrings. Her ears swelled up and began to weep a sticky thick fluid like substance. After that, she had to take off her wedding rings and everything she had in gold was put away. Allergy remained for the rest of her life. Myself, I am very, very allergic to nickel. All my life. I recently wore a watch I received as a gift that had a stainless case and a "gold toned" band and was told it was nickel free...it was not. I broke out all around my wrist within hours. Horrible. I was told by my local jeweler that the US is the only civilized country that has not outlawed nickel in jewelry. Some companies do it voluntarily, but anything coming in from China probably has it. The watch was made in China, or at least the band was. (It sounds like exporting is a different rule) He said here in the US some of the costume jewelry makers take their silver items (think rings,bracelets,etc) and put a layer of nickel and then rhodium plate them. SOME have switched to a layer of palladium (?) instead of nickel. Of course that adds to the price of the piece, but worth it to me. I have a silver rhodium plated ring I love that I found out the hard was has nickel in it and now have it dipped as soon as it looks worn.

 

[Bron357]

Be aware that not all jewellery sold online is “as stamped”.
In particular on eBay there is a trend with some Asian sellers to sell jewellery fake stamped 14kt and/or 925 Silver.
I have bought both and found them to be “fake” ie NOT gold and NOT silver and had a bad reaction as these cheap fake metals have nickel in them, and I’m allergic to nickel.

 

[embdiva]

Be aware that not all jewellery sold online is “as stamped”.
In particular on eBay there is a trend with some Asian sellers to sell jewellery fake stamped 14kt and/or 925 Silver.
I have bought both and found them to be “fake” ie NOT gold and NOT silver and had a bad reaction as these cheap fake metals have nickel in them, and I’m allergic to nickel.

TRUE! My ring was purchased from a specialtly silver store and sold as sterling silver, rhodium plated.

 

[AGBF]

The band have exceeded the nickel content.
Recommended to make a test of nickel release.

Here are some certification of fashion jewelry. the test report of nickel release, lead content, cadmium content

I have never heard of this before. When did people start to measure nickel release? Why did they do so? For whom do you do testing? Do our gemologists know anything about this? (By "our" I meant the trade experts who have been posting on Pricescope for years.) If it applies only to fashion jewelry perhaps it is really not their thing, but some gold alloys (14K, 18K, etc) are used with quality gems.

AGBF

 

[Karl_K]

I have never heard of this before. When did people start to measure nickel release? Why did they do so? For whom do you do testing? Do our gemologists know anything about this? (By "our" I meant the trade experts who have been posting on Pricescope for years.) If it applies only to fashion jewelry perhaps it is really not their thing, but some gold alloys (14K, 18K, etc) are used with quality gems.

AGBF

The EU has required testing of it for years now.
For example stellers x1 white gold has nickel but the alloy is formulated in such a way to pass the EU release tests which means it should not cause a reaction.
In the US medium nickel white gold is still allowed and common but the old high nickel white gold is not.

 

[Karl_K]

Some people are allergic to the copper used in yellow gold alloys, but nickel used in white gold is very much more likely to cause a reaction.