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GOLD ALLERGIES
White Gold
Roughly one in eight people that wears white gold jewelry develops an allergic reaction to the nickel found in some white gold alloys. A discoloration or skin rash may appear where the gold touches your skin (ears, neck, fingers, toes, piercings, etc.). The person might be suffering from a nickel allergy, not a gold allergy.
White gold alloys made without nickel in the alloy are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
To avoid nickel allergies manufacturers of higher quality white gold jewelry use an alloy made of yellow gold, platinum, palladium or zinc instead of the nickel-alloyed white gold.
Yellow Gold
Proof gold is 99.9% gold and generally used for standards purposes
24 karat gold is 99.7% pure gold
22 karat gold is 91.67% gold ( 5% silver, 2% copper and 1.33% zinc)
18 karat gold is 75% gold
14 karat gold is 58.3% gold
10 karat gold is 41.7% gold
The balance of the alloy may be made up of silver, copper, zinc or other metals. 24 karat gold is very soft. Alloys are added to make the gold stronger, and less expensive for the buyer or seller.
Bottom line, its probably not the gold you are allergic to, but the other metals in the alloy. Ask your jeweler for the material certs before you buy.
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