JEWELRY FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

For this month's Splendor Sidebar, our topic is jewelry for sensitive skin.

Like many people, I have to be careful about what I put on my skin.

Certain types of fabric or cologne can cause sudden and irritating reactions (even some of the pricier items) forcing me to be more selective.

The components of some jewelry, particularly mixtures of alloys that include nickel, can cause earlobes, or other areas to swell or itch.

In some cases, nickel is a component of the base metal of gold-plated jewelry and as the plating wears off--this will happen faster when the piece is worn everyday--the skin will powerfully react to the nickel base.

Gold is a non-toxic, stable metal and because nickel is commonly mixed with pure gold to create lower karats, many people mistakenly believe they are allergic to gold. Of course, this is no fun when you are someone who loves to wear jewelry.

Fortunately, there are jewelry manufacturers who respond to a demand for those individuals with a skin allergy to nickel. These manufacturers provide beautiful gold-plated stainless steel, platinum or titanium jewelry, or plain stainless steel, accented with stunning gemstones like rubies and garnets.

From what I have read online, hypoallergenic jewelry can be a little on the expensive side due to manufacturers' use of unmixed metals and authentic gemstones.

It is probably a good idea to compare prices, as well as to do some investigating to make sure the manufacturer or jewelry designer uses legitimate hypoallergenic materials.

With this in mind, check out the lovely selections of hypoallergenic jewelry of Massachusetts-based Simply Whispers, creating either stainless steel jewelry, or jewelry with 24-karat gold plating over a stainless steel base.