Nickel-Free Metals Information

What is Nickel Free?

The term "nickel free" can be confusing, for a couple of reasons. For one thing, most of us used to think that surgical stainless steel had no nickel. Surgical stainless steel (the most commonly used piercing material in the United States), although wearable by the majority of the population, does contain a small amount of nickel, usually 8% in jewelry.

Also, jewelry marked nickel free is allowed to contain a very small amount of nickel ... but it is such a tiny amount that it takes very sensitive instruments days and sometimes weeks to measure it. The European standard is that items labeled nickel free may not contain more than 0.05% nickel. In other words, there can't be more than 1 part in 2,000 that is nickel. The UK standard is even more stringent: 0.01% nickel. There is not yet a U.S. standard, but if/when there is one, it will probably be the same as the European standard (0.05%).

For more information on the European nickel ban, contact the MJSA (Manufacturing Jewelers & Silversmiths of America) at 1 (800) 444-6572. Over the last decade, they have been doing an excellent job of tracking the phases of the European nickel ban and new standards, and have been keeping American jewelers and metalsmiths aware of the trends. If you have customers in Europe, or plan to market your jewelry in Europe, you need to be aware of the nickel ban.

Nickel-Free Metals

Most people with nickel allergies cannot wear plated jewelry, because nickel is a common element in 'silver' plated jewelry, and it is also a common element in the underlying base metal of most plated jewelry.

Luckily, more nickel-free jewelry components are becoming available on the market. Additional options include sterling silver, niobium and 14kt yellow gold.

Sterling silver has no nickel, so is wearable by most segments of the population. Sterling is sometimes stamped .925, because sterling silver is made of 92.5% silver, and 7.5% copper.

Niobium is another non-nickel metal. It is available in a wide variety of colors, without plating. It is anodized, colored by dipping it into an electrically charged bath. The amount of current determines the color. The most popular anodized colors are teal and purple.

14kt yellow gold is commonly made of the following materials: 58% pure gold, 25% pure silver, and 17% pure copper. Gold can be alloyed with other metals, too. If you're familiar with Black Hills Gold and other tri-color gold jewelry, you may be aware that the rose gold has more copper, and the white gold has nickel (for color and strength).

Nickel is a durable metal that holds its color well. Combined with its low price, it is understandably a popular material. Unfortunately, as more people become more exposed to it, through ear and body piercing, more people become more sensitive to it, and alternative materials must be found.