White gold is routinely alloyed down with nickel. Nickel causes allergic reactions in a lot of people. It’s probably showing up now, because your ring was plated in rhodium (the whitest member of the platinum family) when you bought it. This is normal, as white gold always has a little warmth to it, so it is almost always plated in rhodium. The rhodium has worn off. The white gold, alloyed with nickel is in direct contact with your skin. You are reacting to the nickel. One easy solution is to bring the ring in to the jeweler where you purchased it and have it replated with rhodium. Or, you could trade the ring in for mens wedding rings and bands that do NOT contain nickel, a palladium ring or a platinum ring. The metal rhodium is essentially inert to the skin, hypoallergenic, no reaction. What the reaction could be is a basic metals reaction and that SHOULD NOT be happening if the rings have a real rhodium plate.
Platinum – Platinum is known for being the rarest and the heaviest of the precious metals. It’s also the most expensive. It’s typically 90-95% pure and weighs twice as much as gold. It also contains other alloys including copper, zinc cobalt and palladium. It doesn’t tarnish like gold and doesn’t loose its luster over time, but it can be scratched and patina over time. There are many positives for platinum, but it’s not for everyone. Price is a barrier to many, and some men don’t like the heaviness of platinum, others love it. Titanium Rings – titanium mens wedding rings are becoming more popular. Titanium is 99+% pure and is inert and therefore completely corrosion resistant. It does not react to salt water, sunlight, or any body chemistry and it is 100% hypoallergenic. Titanium rings never tarnish like silver or gold and are more durable than any other element.
Titanium is also extremely lightweight, and more affordable than platinum. Platinum, gold and silver must sacrifice style and function to reduce weight and costs. With more and more people are finding they are allergic to certain precious metals, specifically nickel alloys used in many mens wedding bands and everyday jewelry, it only makes sense to start opening our eyes to alternative metals like titanium and platinum. According to a Mayo Clinic study done last year on contact dermatitis, which causes itching, redness, and blister, the top two causes are nickel and gold. Titanium provides the stylish rich tones of platinum at a much more attractive price for men’s wedidng bands. Titanium rings are at the forefront in the designer jewelry community. No other metal has experienced such a dramatic rise in popularity as titanium.
When you get a skin rash after contact with an allergy-causing substance (an allergen), doctors call it allergic contact dermatitis. It can be a devastating condition. People with contact dermatitis can get a very itchy rash from head to toe or in a confined area. If it’s on the hands and feet it can cause a person not to be able to perform daily functions comfortably. Determining whether or not your rashes or irritations are the result of an allergy to nickel is pretty simple. If it is something you’re wearing that’s causing you to break out, you should stop wearing that item. This should allow the rash to go away and not return unless you wear that particular item again. Also, your dermatologist can give you a patch test. This is done by using a panel of common allergens. The doctor puts a small amount on a patch of skin to see whether there is a reaction. Sometimes people find themselves suddenly allergic to jewelry that they have been wearing for as much as five years.The reason for the delayed allergic reaction is not always clear. However a sudden change in sensitivity indicates that their may have been a change in your body chemistry, or a change in what you are putting “on” your skin such as cosmetics. Another reason might be some outside environmental change.
