BEST ear wire choice for hyper-allergic customer??

[Luann Udell]

I hope you R&T folks can help me with this question, a lot is riding on it!

A longtime customer is actually getting her ears pierced so she can wear my earrings--isn't that amazing??  She even bought earrings today in anticipation of the event.

Unfortunately, she is acquiring middle-age allergies, and now finds she can't even wear sterling silver.  She has a beautiful sterling silver chain necklace from Tiffany's, and it makes her neck break out.

She loves the look of oxidized sterling, and that's what I used in her earrings.  I promised her I would find out what might work for her, and be a sort of "aged silver" look, from my homies at R&T.

So.....what would you advise???

Looks like the niobium ear wires might be my best bet, but don't see anything "silvery" or "gunmetal-y".
Keeping my fingers crossed you can help,
Luann

[Russ Nobbs]

Every body is different, Luann, so it's really hard to generalize.

I'm sure you realize the honor she's giving you in "finally" piercing her ears just to wear your earring?
I hope she realizes she needs to let her ears heal 4 to 6 week with the piercing studs before wearing other styles, particularly dangly styles.
Her choice of piercing studs could also be important. Nickel free 14Kt might be the best option. If she's starting to react to metals the more common surgical stainless steel could cause problems.

The Tiffany chain necklace might be rhodium plated - that's common with fine jewelry store sterling - and she might be reacting to the rhodium.
If you suspect that's the issue she could test sterling by wearing simple sterling hoop earrings or even just sterling french wire or kidney wire after the ears are fully healed. But they need to be raw sterling, no plating for this test. Or by wearing a simple bracelet of raw sterling silver chain.  Rhodium plating give sterling the bright white look of 14kt white gold and is very common in fine jewelry stores.

Niobium would be the least likely to irritate anyone. You are right that they do not come in silver, oxidized silver or gunmetal color. Bronze or teal might be as close as niobium gets. I wonder why we don't carry any raw niobium? I notice that neither TierraCast® or Reactive Metals supply these in raw.

[Luann Udell]

Russ, as always, your information is hugely helpful!  I suspected something like the plating with the Tiffany's, I'll pass that on to her along with the suggestions for ear wires.    

Yes, I WAS flattered about her decision!  And I told her if none of this worked out, the pendants can become necklaces or framed artifacts.   

THANK YOU so much for such a thorough (and fast!) response!
as ever,
Luann

[Polly]

Did I mention we have new black Niobium ear wires?

They somewhat resemble (very) oxidized sterling, and one style of the new black ear wires even has a sterling bead on it.

[Luann Udell]

Very nice!  Thanks for the suggestion, Polly.   
I'll start a wish list so I won't forget these on my next order.
Lu

[Luann Udell]

Just curious, does niobium have a higher melting point than silver?

[Polly]

yes - much higher!

Niobium (Nb) Melting Point: 2468.0 °C (2741.15 K, 4474.4 °F)
Silver (Ag) Melting Point: 961.93 °C (1235.08 K, 1763.474 °F)

I'm not sure what happens to the color when you heat it up to a silver melting point. I think it will affect it, but I'm not sure how much.

[Russ Nobbs]

Titanium goes through a series of anodized type surface color changes with heat.
I think Niobium only has that reaction with electrical current.

[Luann Udell]

Soooo....I shouldn't wear niobium earrings while sticking a fork in a light socket??

[Russ Nobbs]

You are going to make me research yet another subject, Luann!

I faintly remember something about anodizing Ti is done with either heat of a range of voltage while Ni is done electrically with a constant voltage  but a range of current (amperage.)

To get the effect you are desiring you might need to daub some conductive cream on your ear lobes to get enough current flow to the Ni earring.
I don't recommend you try this at home (or any place else, for that matter) as inducing household current through the human body as deleterious effect.

You always expect a serious, well studied answer from us here at Rings & Things, right? 

Gotta go, there are bags and bags of recyclables to sort this morning at Spokane's Artfest. It was our first warm weekend here, maybe our only taste of summer for the year?