Metal Allergy? No Problem With Amore Argento

Being allergic to metal can make wearing jewellery very difficult.  Many metals used in jewellery making are alloys, which mean they are a mix of two or more metals.  This is done to make precious, soft metals like gold and silver harder and more durable for wearing as jewellery; however, this can be a problem for people who find their skin is irritated by metals like nickel or copper.  Nickel is commonly used as an additive to silver, along with copper, so people who have an allergy to these metals may find that they get a reaction when wearing sterling silver as a result.

There are metals which are hypoallergenic, meaning they do not cause an allergic reaction even in people who have allergies to other metals.  These metals include titanium, platinum and rhodium; this is why titanium is often used in surgical implants because of the low risk of causing a reaction in the patient.  Platinum is used in jewellery making and it is often considered to be more valuable than pure gold, partly because it is a precious metal but also for the hypoallergenic properties it has.  Platinum is expensive though, so any jewellery made with it will be quite costly.

We use rhodium to plate our sterling silver jewellery because it helps prevent tarnishing thereby increasing the life of your jewellery and, because it is hypoallergenic it therefore makes our jewellery safe to wear for people who are allergic to some metals.  Rhodium is very robust, so the thin plated layer will stay intact for years and years, preventing tarnishing by stopping the air from getting to the silver and keeping it looking shiny and new with minimal polishing; over-polishing plated jewellery can wear away the plating prematurely, so it's always a good idea to clean your jewellery only when it needs it, and simply wipe pieces over with a soft cloth to remove sweat and oils from the skin which can also affect the plated layer.

Even the chains in our necklaces are rhodium plated, so you can wear our allergy-safe sterling silver jewellery without any worries of a reaction.  You can also purchase separate chains from us to wear with your favourite pendants that you have had to consign to the depths of your jewellery box.