Unable to wear platinum rings - Allergic reaction? Help!

[lovehersomuch]

Hi All,

I havent posted here in a long time but need some serious help with some issues!

My wife has been unable to wear her platinum engagement ring and wedding band for a year now (married almost 3 years). Her rings are Memoire's Purity collection e-ring and weddings bands which are 99.9% platinum and were purchased from Pearlman's.

Every time my wife wears her rings for a couple hours she starts to get a rash/tiny blisters around where the ring would be. As stated above this is something that she developed and wasn't there initially when rings were purchased.

Could she have developed an allergy to Platinum? If so, how could this be tested?

What can be done to the rings so that my wife can continue to wear them without having this issue?

We haven't gotten much options from Pearlman's other then to do a trade up which would set us back 2,500+ at a minimum which we aren't interested in. Or they have said we can try to do rhodium plating - but they aren't sure if this would do the trick and it is something that will need to be are applied after some time.

We want to explore all our options before making any commitment. Ideally we'd like to keep the rings my wife has as they are from our wedding and have sentimental value of course.

We've read a couple of things online about how developing this allergy isn't uncommon so I'd like to get people's feedback and input. Some have stated to dip the ring in vinegar or try using nail polish remover etc. We haven't done anything yet.

Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[slg47]

have you been to a dermatologist?

also does this happen with rings in other metals?

 

[tuffyluvr]

That is strange for her to develop an allergy. Was the ring plated with palladium or rhodium before? It seems like about the right amount of time for the plating to wear away.

Or is it possible that she took off the rings more often when she washed her hands, etc when she first got them? When I wear my mom's domed wedding ring and get my hands wet and moisture stays under it my finger gets red, itchy and breaks out in blisters like you described.

 

[dani13]

Bring the rings in to be professionally cleaned. From my understanding, from washing hands, etc., moisture, soap scum and other things get in there and can really irritate the skin (my sister in law just went through this). So, all of that build up has to be removed. Ever since my SIL did this, her rash has been alot better. From here on in, take the rings to be cleaned regularly, and have your wife apply some hydrocortisone cream to the area for now to decrease the inflammation around her finger. Good luck!!

 

[Imdanny]

Her rings are Memoire's Purity collection e-ring and weddings bands which are 99.9% platinum and were purchased from Pearlman's.

I'm sorry to hear this! I wish I knew something to tell you!

As an aside, I'm curious about 99.9% platinum. I thought most platinum rings were 950/1000 by weight platinum (?) but I haven't heard of 99.9%.

In any case, I hope you find an answer!

 

[Gypsy]

Okay well... I do this with costume jewelry as I am allergic to much of it and have NO IDEA how bad an idea it is for 'real' jewelry (probably really bad) so CHECK with your jeweler before you do anything cause you might cause permanent damage BUT... with my costume jewelry I use clear nail polish enamel to coat the surfaces (takes a few coats and dry time) that touch my skin and it seems to work. Like I said, I have no idea how bad an idea this is for platinum but well... thought I'd float it.

 

[pinkjewel]

I also get that reaction sometimes to some of my platinum rings. I can wear my gold rings and even silver rings with no problems, but my e-ring and wedding band can cause me problems. Both of those rings are heavily engraved rings- all my other rings have smooth shanks. It is certainly much worse in summer when the rings are tighter and I assume there is more friction and moisture causing the problem. It's funny because any jeweler I've mentioned it to says that "no one" is allergic to platinum. So I'm not sure that it's exactly an allergy as much as the engraved bands rub and with heat and humidity catching moisture under the band -my finger breaks out with the rash and blisters. I recently purchased a new ring with a smooth platinum shank and this ring is a little loose on my finger. So far I haven't had any problems. I'll be interested in seeing what other responses you get.

 

[mrssalvo]

I'd go to a dermatologist to confirm that it is indeed and allergy to the platinum and not just left over residue getting trapped from handwashing etc. first. If it's not the rings at all then you don't have to do anything. If it is the rings, then you can cross that bridge when you get there by possibly having them plated or something.

 

[MeganR]

Unfortunately an allergy to platinum is possible, though unlikely. Platinum is a hypoallergenic metal which by definition means that it is designed to reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response. However, this does not mean that no one will be allergic to it, which your wife may be one of the unlucky few that are.

With all that being said, I would definitely try the tips mentioned above. Make sure you get the rings cleaned thoroughly by a jeweler and then make sure that your wife takes her rings off whenever she is washing her hands. Moisture, soap, etc. trapped under the rings can really mess with the skin. I would also visit a dermatologist as there might be an underlying cause totally unrelated to the platinum that is causing the issue.

I hope that you can figure this out quickly and that your wife can enjoy her rings for years to come!

 

[lovehersomuch]

We'll take the rings to get cleaned by a jeweler and i'll have my wife schedule an appointment with a dermatologist.

She washes her hands frequently and doesnt leave the rings on when doing so. She also has a cleaning kit she uses on the rings too.

She does not have anything like this (allergic reaction) towards any other jewelry or metals.

Any other suggestions about plating, boiling rings, soaking in vinegar, etc?

its awful that she is unable to wear the rings..

 

[mrssalvo]

She washes her hands frequently and doesnt leave the rings on when doing so. She also has a cleaning kit she uses on the rings too.

I wonder if it may be the cleaning solution she's using that she's allergic too? Do she use the kit with other pieces of jewelry?

Glad she's going to a dermatologist and hopefully it's an easy solution and she will be able to wear her rings soon. The Memoire purity rings are simple stunning!!

 

[tsavvy]

Bring the rings in to be professionally cleaned. From my understanding, from washing hands, etc., moisture, soap scum and other things get in there and can really irritate the skin (my sister in law just went through this). So, all of that build up has to be removed. Ever since my SIL did this, her rash has been alot better. From here on in, take the rings to be cleaned regularly, and have your wife apply some hydrocortisone cream to the area for now to decrease the inflammation around her finger. Good luck!!

Exactly this. Your wife may be allergic to something that is getting caught under her ring.

I have this problem with two different rings (one palladium and one white gold) and the rash stems from soap getting caught under the rings and irritating my skin. I only get this rash when I use harsh soap (like the kind in public restrooms), so I typically just use hot water and no soap to wash my hands when I'm out and don't have any problem. As soon as I use soap in a public restroom, I end up with a rash in 2 to 4 hours. Like clockwork.

In order for the rash to go away, I have to take my rings off and let it completely heal -- the first time it took several weeks since I'd had the rash for awhile, but now it just takes a few days. Before I put the rings back on, they need to be cleaned of any soap residue. My regular jewelry cleaning kit does not work -- I have to soak them in a vinegar/peroxide mix followed by boiling water or take them to the jeweler for a steam cleaning.