Here we offer a guide to hypoallergenic metals for earrings for sensitive ears including Niobium, Titanium, Argentium Silver, & Surgical Steel. Discover the qualities of these jewelry metals to determine which is the best hypoallergenic solution for comfort for your sensitive ears.

Jewelry Metals We Offer

Niobium

Pure 100% Niobium. Nickel Free, Elemental. Niobium is ultra comfortable. Often people remark that they forget they are even wearing earrings while they are wearing Niobium.  We began offering Niobium as a solution for those with metal allergies whose skin reacts badly to other jewelry metals back in 2009 and in all that time after selling thousands of pairs of Niobium earrings, we have only had 2 customers report back with true allergy symptoms.  So it seems in practice that an allergy to Niobium is very rare.

Titanium

We use Grade 1 and Grade 2 Titanium for all of our earrings and ear nut earring backs. They are produced conforming to ASTM F67, which is an implant grade Titanium (see the ASTM spec for more information: https://store.astm.org/f0067-13r17.html), and an additional description of Titanium conforming to ASTM F67 here: https://titanium.net/standard/astm/f67/

Our Titanium is mined and machined in the USA. 

Grade 1 and Grade 2 Titanium are made up of 100% pure elemental Titanium (no other metal is intentionally introduced). It is therefore Nickel Free. Titanium is very lightweight and comfortable to wear. There is a slight difference in the way the raw Grade 1 and Grade 2 are produced (related to oxygen and heat) to give them slightly different mechanical properties (Grade 1 is softer), but they are both 100% pure Titanium. We use Grade 1 Titanium in our hoop dangles and gemball studs, and Grade 2 Titanium in all faceted gemstone studs (4-prong settings), cabochon gemstone studs (bezel cup settings) and crystal studs (bezel cup settings). The ear nut earring backs are grade 1 Titanium.

Prior to 2020, our gemstone cabochon and crystal stud Titanium earrings were made with Grade 23 Titanium, which is an implant grade Titanium that complies with the ASTM F136 specification. Grade 23 Titanium is composed of 90% Titanium, 6% Aluminum, and 4% Vanadium. The Aluminum and Vanadium is added to Grade 23 Titanium to increase the strength of the metal (the Titanium alloy). (more specifically, Grade 23 Titanium mechanical properties of "hardness" and "yield strength" are roughly doubled that of Grade 1 and Grade 2 Titanium). Grade 23 Titanium is used for surgical implants where a metal is needed that is hard and does not yield (with less chance of an allergic reaction compared to other strong metals such as Steel). Therefore Grade 23 Titanium is commonly used in joint replacements, surgical staples, bone fixation devices, and orthopedic pins, screws and cables. 

Here at Pretty Sensitive Ears, we have found that the ear lobes simply do not need the extra hardness and yield strength that comes with the added Aluminum and Vanadium found in Grade 23 Titanium. Our goal is to make earrings that your ears do not react to. You could have a sensitivity or be allergic to any metal, including Gold, Nickel, Niobium, Titanium, Aluminum, Vanadium, etc. We picked Grade 1 and Grade 2 Titanium for our earrings in case our customers are allergic to Aluminum and/or Vanadium, whether they know it or not.

By the way, you can request a metal allergy test from an allergy doctor or now there are blood tests that can test for metal hypersensitivities. The tests include Aluminum and Vanadium, such as this one: https://www.orthopedicanalysis.com/order-testing-panel 

Argentium Silver

Argentium Silver (or Argentium Sterling Silver) is used in our prong set post earrings and as bezel settings in some of our post earrings styles.  Argentium Silver is 92.5% silver, 6.3% copper, and 1.2% germanium. Compared to fine Silver it tarnishes very slowly so it will shine for you without the need for frequent polishing (you'll want to polish about once per year). Argentium Silver is nickel free and is very comfortable.

Surgical Steel

Our Surgical Steel (or 316L "Surgical" Stainless Steel) posts and ear wires are made from the 316L alloy of Stainless Steel. This is considered hypoallergenic but it is NOT nickel free. We offer it for those who know they can wear Surgical Steel (and have allergies to other metals not contained it it). 316L contains steel (which is iron with carbon), chromium (for corrosion and scratch resistance), 8-10.5% nickel (for increasing strength and higher and lower temperatures and reducing brittleness), 2-3% molybdenum (for more corrosion resistance), and trace elements (see chart below). Surgical Steel is dubbed "surgical" because it is used in some instruments used in surgeries because of its durability.

Our Surgical Steel ear nut earring backs are Grade SAE 304 Stainless Steel. SAE 304 contains 18-20% chromium, 8-10.5% nickel, plus trace elements (see chart below).

How do I know what I am reacting to?

Metal alloys consist of a combination of base metal elements. 

Here is a chart that we put together showing common jewelry metals (metal alloys) and which metal elements they are comprised of.  If you know you have had bad reactions to certain jewelry metals, you can look here at what metal elements you are potentially allergic or sensitive to.  Keep in mind you could have reactions to more than one metal.