The search for nickel free jewelry

When you're allergic to nickel, it isn't always easy to buy jewelry. Pure gold contains no nickel, but is expensive. And when you like silver better, the options are more limited. Copper and bronze contain nickel as well.
In my time I have bought lots of jewelry that claimed to be nickel free, but did cause me irritation. A waste of money!

As a jewelry maker with a severe nickel allergy, there are times I have to work with gloves on and remember that I cannot touch my face for as long as I haven't taken off the gloves or washed my hands. I guess I chose the wrong hobby. :-) But I like it so much that I just can't stop.

When I make nickel-free jewelry for my shop, especially earrings, I always make a pair for myself and give them a test drive for a couple of weeks. When I am certain that they don't cause me irritation, I'm safe to state that they don't contain nickel.

Other options for allergy-sufferers are wooden jewelry and plastic items. This is a great choice for beaded necklaces and bangles.
Putting some clear nail polish on the inside of rings and bangles helps too, but has to be repeated every once in a while to be effective.

Looking for that nickel-free piece to complete your new outfit? Here are some suggestions:

Romantic retro-inspired post earrings

Classic gold plated earrings with rhodonite beads

Retro bracelet with big plastic beads in black

Long dangly goldplated earrings with champagne crystals

Are you allergic to nickel? What kind of jewelry do you wear?

The start of a blog

A bit scary, starting this blog. But also a lot of fun! :-)
I hope you will like my scribblings, pictures of my creations, home decoration ideas and ramblings.
Always looking forward to your reactions and comments.

So here we go... :-)

I have a little shop on Etsy, where I sell the things I make. Since I love a wide variety of crafts, I sell a wide variety of stuff. :-)

As a former art student, I like to paint. And because my main source of inspiration is my cat, you can find a lot of cat-inspired art in my shop. I donate 1/3 of the profit of my paintings and prints to Cat Shelter Limburg, a local cat shelter that puts stray kittens in foster homes until they have found their definite home.

Home decoration is another division of the shop. Working with fabric always puts me in a good mood. 

Recently I started making jewelry. It's always nice to learn new techniques, and the fact that you don't need much room to do it, makes it even possible to install yourself in front of the stove on those cold winter evenings and making something completely new.

Wondering what else I am making? Take a peek, and tell me what you think!

Twenty Little Lights on Etsy