Ring allergy

AguaEau

I'm not sure if this is the right board for this, so please feel free to direct me elsewhere if I should ask this on another board. My boyfriend and I are planning to get engaged within the next year or so. He's asked me about what kind of rings I like. Here's where it gets tricky. I like the look of white gold but I am allergic to gold and to nickel. (I've had allergy testing done.) I know that platinum is generally a safe choice, but it's also expensive. From my googling it looks like cobalt chrome and titanium are also generally safe for people with gold and nickel allergies (although they can't be resized, which is a drawback). But as I'm looking at any cobalt chrome or titanium rings online none of them are like a traditional solitaire or three stone engagement ring, which is what I like. I don't know if this is a function of the physical attributes of the metal? Or if jewelers just assume people choosing those metals want a non-traditional style? I haven't actually gone into a jewelery store and talked with someone because I'd like to get kind of a feel of what I'm talking about before I walk in there. So, if anyone has experience with metal allergies or choosing non-traditional metals for your ring, I'd love to hear about your experience.

AguaEau

Dammit, I had paragraphs!

luckya23

I would ask on the weddingbee ring board.
My dad has to wear titanium but he isn't too concerned with the look!
I don't think it's awful to need platinum

loves2shop4shoes

I think you should be able to get a jeweler to make you a titanium ring.  I'd talk to a local reputable jeweler and see if you can have one custom made according to a style you like.  DH's wedding band is titanium and it's held up well so far.

eilis1228

I agree with @loves2shop4shoes. You can look at Yelp reviews for a good local jeweler, and they should be able to make you a ring that won't irritate your skin.

Blue & White

With white gold prices high, platinum wasn't THAT much more expensive for our wedding bands?  Also, H has a palladium wedding band.  It was a teeny bit more than white gold but less than platinum.  If you go to a jeweler and ask, they can let you see the differences, explain the differences, etc.

Dignity100

I have the same allergy.

For my ring - I had my designer make an 18k gold/palladium mix, the cost was a little more than what 'normal' 18k gold goes for.

Palladium itself is an option, if you do just palladium the cost is generally between that of 10k-14k white gold.  It is a softer metal though, so if you work in an office, you should be ok.  I work in an office, but I'm a little harder on my hands/jewelry.

Blackbird230

Isn't palladium also allergy free? I'm not sure so don't quote me on that. A lot of women's engagement rings come in gold, platinum and palladium.

phira

I'd honestly find a jeweler and go talk with them. They're going to be able to answer your questions, and a good jeweler will encourage you to be up front about your budget. So if platinum is the best metal for you, they might be able to work with you to make sure you get a ring you love in your price range.

eilis1228

I don't think all jewelers work with palladium, but I could be wrong. It's definitely an allergy-free option, but you'd have to find a jeweler who works with it. It should be cheaper than platinum though, which is a plus. 

morphemes

My mom has severe allergies to metals as well. She can't wear any metal, even metal clasps on her clothing irritates her skin. That being said, she has yellow gold wedding and engagement rings. Yellow gold is better for allergies, but she still had bad reactions to wearing the rings for months until her skin adjusted to them being there. But it sounds like you aren't interested in yellow gold? In that case, honestly platinum is the best option, but it is definitely pricier. 

Otherwise, maybe consider having a ring custom made in a different metal of your choosing. It should be fairly simple to have a jeweler make a solitaire ring in a different metal, especially if they have a design you already love. 

Good luck!

AguaEau

Ok, so what I'm hearing is it's time to get off the internet and talk to real people about this. :-)

Thanks for the advice - I appreciate it!

Dignity100

Some jewelers will NOT work with palladium.  It is a softer metal and it is harder to cast (the designer told me all the chemistry stuff behind it but now I forget most of it).  My ring's designer was hesitant and I talked to a few that weren't.  It still is rhodium plated.

Here's my ring - 18k Palladium 'white' gold - nickel free <<mostly because I like showing it off>>:

AguaEau

I don't really care for the look of yellow gold, but I'm super allergic to gold (not just to the things they mix with it), so it's kind of a moot point.

Blue & White

@AguaEau basically we weren't dealing with allergies, but it helped just to sit down with our jeweler (a good friend) and talk about the differences.  They do this ALL DAY, ya know?  Also, I guess we went with a local jeweler technically, but they worked with palladium regularly.  I don't know if they're just abnormal

AguaEau

That's really pretty!

Dignity100

@AguaEau - I didn't like any of the Titanium options; basically anything they can do with gold they can do with platinum or palladium.  With palladium, just be a little more careful and probably get a wider band instead of a super super thin band.  If you're having a ring made and having a gemstone with it, go with a 6-prong and see if they can do a little thicker on the prongs themselves (mine technically has 8 prongs).

I also was trying to be cost-conscious when picking out my wedding ring and one of the things I thought about doing was going with a different gemstone other than a diamond and later replacing with a diamond and having a right hand ring or necklace made from the 'original' stone.

buddysmom80

@dignity100 I feel like I've never seen your ring, but it's really, really pretty!!!

 

Dignity100

And I didn't notice the GOLD allergy, only the nickel.  I have no gold allergy, only nickel.  I gave up on ear piercings for that reason (ears would swell up and be all red and itchy - finger does the same thing with a ring - couldn't even wear my class ring when I was in high school that I saved up for and HAD TO HAVE).

happilyeverafter31205

I have a list of precious metals that cause skin allergies and which ones are hypo-allergenic and same for alternative metals. Maybe this can help narrow it down for you too;)