Frequently asked questions

Not in the United States. There is no federal definition of “hypoallergenic” for jewelry, so a seller can print it on a listing without committing to anything about the metal. It is a marketing word here.

The European Union does regulate the underlying thing, which is nickel release, under REACH Annex XVII entry 27. This is why “nickel-free” is a stronger claim than “hypoallergenic” — the first names a metal, the second names a feeling. The difference, in full.

For most people the ranking is: implant-grade titanium (ASTM F-136) and niobium first, then commercially pure titanium, then high-karat solid gold, then good-quality surgical stainless steel. Plated base metal is last, because the plating is the only thing between your skin and whatever the core is made of.

The metal comparison, with what each one actually is.

Usually fine, not always. Most “surgical steel” jewelry is 316L, which contains 8 to 12 percent nickel by weight — but that nickel is bound into the alloy and released very slowly, which is why the majority of people wear it without trouble. If you are one of the people who reacts to it anyway, that is not unusual and it is not you imagining things. More on stainless steel.

Three common reasons: the label was meaningless (see above), the post is a different metal from the decorative front, or the back is a different metal again. There is also a real possibility it is not an allergy at all but pressure, friction or a piercing that never fully healed. The full list of causes, in order of likelihood.

More than most listings suggest. A butterfly back is a separate manufactured part, often sourced separately and often from a cheaper alloy than the earring it holds on. Titanium earrings with an unstated back are a half-answer. Backs and posts, explained.

“Titanium” on a listing may mean commercially pure titanium, a titanium alloy, or occasionally a titanium-colored coating. “Implant grade” usually means the seller is pointing at ASTM F-136, which specifies a Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy used in surgical implants. The standard governs composition, not nickel release, but a certified F-136 alloy contains no deliberately added nickel. The distinction in detail.

It depends entirely on what is under the plating, and the post is where plating wears through first. Gold-plated over sterling silver or over surgical steel is a very different proposition from gold-plated over unnamed brass. What to check before buying plated.

Whatever your piercer put in, for as long as they told you. After that, implant-grade titanium or niobium with a flat back is the low-drama choice. Earrings for a new or healing piercing. For an infected or non-settling piercing, please see a clinician rather than a website.

Each of those brands says something different, and some say more than others. We went through their published material claims one by one on the brands page, including where a claim cannot be verified from what the brand publishes.

No. Products we claim to have tested: zero. We read listings and manufacturer specifications and report what they state about the post metal, the back metal and nickel — including when they state nothing at all. The full method, including the rubric.

It is a disclosure score, not a performance score. Five things out of ten each: is the post metal stated, is the back metal stated, how specific is the nickel claim, how good is that metal for reactive skin, and how wearable is the design. The overall is the plain average and you can recompute it from the numbers on the page.

Because we would rather show you nothing than a stale number. Prices come from a feed that refreshes daily and expires after 48 hours. Past that window the button stops showing a figure. Every price that does appear is stamped with the date it was checked.

Yes, a commission from the retailer, at no extra cost to you. It has never moved a product up a list, and every roundup here carries at least one thing we tell you not to buy. The full disclosure.

Yes. It is the same nickel and the same skin. The reaction under a watch band or at the navel from a buckle is the identical mechanism to the one in your earlobes, which is why we cover accessories at all — almost nobody in jewelry does.

Green skin is usually copper oxidizing, not an allergy, and the two get confused constantly. A nickel reaction is itchy, red and often raised. Green is a stain and washes off. Tarnish, water and green skin.

Solid titanium and niobium do not care. Plated pieces care a great deal, and chlorine is harder on jewelry than seawater. Swimming, showering and travel.

The material questions are identical; the extra considerations are fastening security and weight. Earrings for kids with sensitive ears. As with everything else here, this is consumer guidance about metal and not a substitute for asking a pediatrician or piercer about your specific child.

Prices daily. Roundups monthly. Material and comparison pages quarterly. Every page shows a “verified on” date driven by real content dates rather than by the last deploy.

One person: Scooter M., an enthusiast with no lab and no dermatology degree, who reads spec sheets. The longer answer, including what we are not.

Tell us. Corrections are the most useful message this site receives, they go in with a dated note at the foot of the page, and we do not silently edit a factual claim. Contact form.