Safe materials for earwires?

Don’t forget fine silver wire. That’s at least 99% pure silver, as I
understand it.

Mara Nesbitt-Aldric

For those that aren't sensitive to nickel and think that it is a
whole bunch of malarky... Even the nickel industry believes it is
a true health problem. 

Oh there is no doubt it is a problem, at least 5% of the population
(and likely more) shows allergic sensitization to nickel.

Some things cause more reactions than others (read below). SO yes I
can cook with a stainless steel pot, BUT the hooks on the back of
my bra really drive me up the wall where sometimes I even put tape
on my back! And they are covered with material... but sometimes the
material slips and they just touch my skin. Some stainless steels
contain nickel and some do not. 

Virtually all the stainless you come in contact with is nickel
bearing, yes there are non nickel bearing stainless steels but they
tend to be specialty steels and as you say they tend to be less
corrosion resistant. The most common non nickel bearing one you
might come in contact with is 440C or a similar high carbon
stainless for knife blades or 430 for appliance trim. The reason
that austenitic (nickel bearing) stainless steels don’t cause as
much of a problem for some people is the chromium oxide covers the
nickel and acts as a barrier. This is why most folks can eat food
prepared in stainless or with stainless cutlery.

The biggest problems most folks have is with things like those
hooks, eyeglasses frames, buttons, watch buckels or coins (nickels
quarters, dimes) as they are nickel silver which has lots of free
nickel on the surface.

Nickel is added for strength and to increase the anti-corrosion
property. As for medical implants/surgical steel... the medical
industry is actually making other types of medical implants due to
this problem. So if you are CONSCIOUS and have a nickel
sensitivity, be sure to let them know at the hospital. I have it
listed on a card I keep in my wallet with all my medical

Unfortunately all metals can cause an allergic reaction in some
portion of the population even platinum, titanium, or niobium, but
those are truly rare cases.

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

It is not always the metal that create the allergic reaction, I
found that perfume, hairspray or lotion on earlobe gets trapped in
the little pierced opening and creates the allergy. So I always tell
my customers to clean the earlobe well with perhaps 3% peroxide, it
has worked for several folks.

Sigi

James, about nickel - I am highly sensitive to nickel and to latex
among other things but coins never bother me., They don’t !!!stay
around long enough to cause a reaction!!! Sadlt, neither does the
paper!!!

Cordially, Barbara, who has just discovered her potatoes ae coming up
on the pots!;

It is not always the metal that create the allergic reaction 

And I have found that some earwires which are causing problems were
not finished adequately. Passing through the earlobe a rough end
would scratch and set up for an infection. Always worth examining
with a loupe to be sure.

j
J Collier Metalsmith

Maybe this has been addressed, not read all the posts… I’ve read
that on plated metals, like silver plated whatever…, that tool
marks or other breaks in the metal (stress or whatever the reason)
can cause the base metal to react with the skin (say the base metal
is a nickel alloy steel). Of course that would be if the person is
sensitive to the base metal.

Val