Brands that make nickel-free white gold (palladium white gold)?

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

pinkmilq

pinkmilq

Member
Jun 21, 2023
151
507
#1
I’ve been on a hunt to find which jewelry brands have white gold that is nickel-free and made with palladium instead! Specifically with earrings, I think I have a mild nickel sensitivity that I don’t want to get worse. Please comment any brands that you know of or any recs you might have!
So far I’ve confirmed with these brands:
♥︎ VCA
♥︎ Cartier
♥︎ Tiffany
♥︎ Chaumet
 
  • Like
Reactions: Candace30
#3
I believe most of the European brands are nickel free; they have stricter regulations than the US. Some more are:
Bvlgari
Buccellati
Chopard
Fope

I think a lot of British brands are also nickel free, like:
Sophie Harley
Garrard
Boodles

I don’t know if Harry Winston (US based) has nickel-free white gold, but they do a lot of designs in platinum.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Insightful
Reactions: Joeli7, Candace30 and pinkmilq
#4
Thank you for starting this, I also have a nickel allergy - and it's not mild. My ears will burn within secs, and welts appear on my wrists from fashion jewellery or on my tummy if wearing a belt. Feels like chicken pox or shingles (if you've ever had those).

From GB, I believe that Asprey also is 'nickel-free' or at least wg earrings don't burn my ears off.

Can I also just issue a word of warning for those that are sensitive to nickel, 'nickel free' has no legal implications in most countries (min/max) so be careful.

Also many jewellers that offer 'nickel-free jewellery' also sell belts and accessories. Very often white metal on bags, SLGs, belts etc contains nickel, this may not be covered. IME, SAs, SMs and CS are all absolutely useless at finding out important information on specific items like what hardware and metals contain.
 
  • Like
  • Insightful
  • Thanks
Reactions: lolakitten, Candace30, CoastalCouture and 2 others
#6
papertiger said:
Thank you for starting this, I also have a nickel allergy - and it's not mild. My ears will burn within secs, and welts appear on my wrists from fashion jewellery or on my tummy if wearing a belt. Feels like chicken pox or shingles (if you've ever had those).

From GB, I believe that Asprey also is 'nickel-free' or at least wg earrings don't burn my ears off.

Can I also just issue a word of warning for those that are sensitive to nickel, 'nickel free' has no legal implications in most countries (min/max) so be careful.

Also many jewellers that offer 'nickel-free jewellery' also sell belts and accessories. Very often white metal on bags, SLGs, belts etc contains nickel, this may not be covered. IME, SAs, SMs and CS are all absolutely useless at finding out important information on specific items like what hardware and metals contain.
Click to expand...
This is very insightful and informative — thank you so much for sharing. I hadn’t considered accessory hardware, but it’s good to know and keep in mind. I also found that there is usually nickel content in stainless steel watches, another thing I hadn’t considered before.
 
  • Insightful
Reactions: papertiger
#7
Simply Whispers. https://www.simplywhispers.com/collections/joyful-gold

It is not high-end, but they are truly hypoallergenic. They are extremely affordable too. They have a 14K gold line, which is what I linked above, but they also have other metals, all of which are excellent.

My ears are also sensitive and I've never had a single problem with this brand. My favorite things from them are their gold studs. They are so well priced and so comfortable that I actually forget I'm wearing them. Usually when I wear earrings, my ears are itching within a few hours, even with some gold. Never with Simply Whispers though.
 
#9
Thanks for starting this thread! I’ve definitely entered my white metals phase and I too have a nickel sensitivity. I really wish it was easier to find out more about the alloys jewelry houses use. I mistakenly thought that 18k white gold would be “safer”, but I’ve gotten confirmation from companies including Hearts on Fire, Birks, and Whiteflash (which I know is popular here) that their 18k white gold include nickel in their alloys.
 
  • Insightful
Reactions: papertiger
#10
This list is a great idea - my nickel allergy is pretty miserable!

I've had verbal confirmation from a sales associate that David Yurman does not use nickel in their WG alloy for their cable bracelets, but I can't find anything on their webisite to support this. However, I can wear my WG cable bracelet for the entire day without a reaction.
 
  • Insightful
Reactions: pinkmilq and papertiger
#11
Candace30 said:
Thanks for starting this thread! I’ve definitely entered my white metals phase and I too have a nickel sensitivity. I really wish it was easier to find out more about the alloys jewelry houses use. I mistakenly thought that 18k white gold would be “safer”, but I’ve gotten confirmation from companies including Hearts on Fire, Birks, and Whiteflash (which I know is popular here) that their 18k white gold include nickel in their alloys.
Click to expand...
Just now from a chat window with Hearts on Fire, they suggest platinum as an alternative:

Our 18k white gold is 75% gold, alloyed with various amounts of silver, copper, nickel, palladium, zinc and/ or indium with a trace coating of rhodium. Our 18k white gold pieces contain 5.75-7.8% Nickel and are considered Nickel Release Safe. We also have below actions to ensure the product is safe for nickel issue:
  1. We perform a nickel release test (according to EN1811) for each batch of goods.
  2. The products are rhodium plated so as to isolate prolong contact of alloy with the skin.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Candace30
#12
CoastalCouture said:
Just now from a chat window with Hearts on Fire, they suggest platinum as an alternative:

Our 18k white gold is 75% gold, alloyed with various amounts of silver, copper, nickel, palladium, zinc and/ or indium with a trace coating of rhodium. Our 18k white gold pieces contain 5.75-7.8% Nickel and are considered Nickel Release Safe. We also have below actions to ensure the product is safe for nickel issue:
  1. We perform a nickel release test (according to EN1811) for each batch of goods.
  2. The products are rhodium plated so as to isolate prolong contact of alloy with the skin.
Click to expand...
Yes, it’s great when there are platinum options available. I can confirm that I tried on a white gold HOF pendant about 6 months ago that irritated my neck.
 
Last edited:
  • Thanks
Reactions: CoastalCouture
#13
As a follow up to this discussion, has anyone had a custom piece made by a local jeweler in nickel-free white gold? I ask because I stopped in to a local jeweler with a good reputation and talked with him about wanting to create a solitaire pendant using an old diamond I have, and I asked whether he could source nickel-free white gold for the setting and chain.

He did not give me a straight answer (which was a big turn off, and which I also interpreted to mean that the answer is all his white gold has a nickel alloy), and instead suggested I have the pendant made in platinum and to rhodium plate it. I confess I’d never heard of this before. Curious if anyone has done this—rhodium plate a platinum piece so that it more closely resembles white gold?

For the record, I absolutely love platinum for rings and for certain pieces where the gemstone is the star, but for bracelets and pendant chains, I love the bright look of white gold. Which is why I find this thread so valuable!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top