Are Sterling Silver Earrings Hypoallergenic? An Honest Answer for Sensitive Ears
If earrings make your ears itch, sting or weep, you are in good company. It is one of the most common complaints I hear at markets, usually followed by "so I just don't wear them any more." This post is the honest version of what is going on, what sterling silver does and does not solve, and how I describe my own earrings.
The word "hypoallergenic" first
You will see it on a lot of earring packaging. It has no legal definition in the UK, and no metal is safe for absolutely everyone, so I do not use it as a claim about my jewellery. What I can do is tell you exactly what my earrings are made of, and let you decide.
What usually causes the reaction
Most sore ears are caused by nickel. Nickel allergy is one of the most common contact allergies in the UK, and cheap earring posts are often made of a nickel-containing base metal. The other common culprit is plating: a thin layer of silver or gold over a base metal, which looks fine in the shop and then wears through at exactly the point where the post sits in your ear. Once it wears through, you are wearing the base metal.
What sterling silver is
Sterling silver is 92.5% silver alloyed with 7.5% of another metal, almost always copper, for strength. That is what the 925 stamp means. There is no plating to wear off, because the metal is the same all the way through. My silver comes from a UK bullion supplier whose alloys are made to meet the UK and EU nickel-release regulation, the test that limits how much nickel can pass into skin from a piece worn for a long time. That is why I describe my earrings as nickel-safe sterling silver that meets UK nickel regulations. The posts and the butterfly backs are sterling too, not a different metal.
So will sterling silver be fine for you?
For most people with reactive ears, yes, and quite a lot of my regular customers came to silver for exactly this reason. Two honest caveats:
- If you know you react to silver itself, which is rare, sterling silver will not be the answer, and I would rather say so than sell you a pair.
- If your ears react to almost everything, it may be worth a patch test with a dermatologist before spending money on any metal. The NHS has plain guidance on contact dermatitis.
Small things that help sensitive ears
- Keep the posts clean. Wipe them with a little rubbing alcohol before you put them in, especially after they have sat in a drawer.
- Do not sleep in new earrings for the first few days, so your ear gets a rest.
- Take them out before swimming, and before perfume or hairspray. Chlorine and cosmetics irritate skin as well as tarnishing silver.
- Start with something light. Tiny studs sit flat and put very little weight on the piercing. My small and tiny studs are the usual starting point.
What I make
Every earring I sell is solid recycled sterling silver, handmade in my Nottingham studio, with sterling posts and butterfly backs. I have gathered them all in one place at Earrings for Sensitive Ears: studs, small hoops and threaders. If you are not sure where to start, email me and tell me what has bothered you before. I will point you at the lightest, simplest pair.
Anna x