Material & Care

Nickel Allergy: What “Hypoallergenic” Jewellery Really Means

3 Nov 2026 · 2 min read

Nickel is the most common contact allergy in Europe: an itchy, red rash where a cheap earring, a belt buckle or a jeans button touches the skin. Once you have it, it stays.

“Hypoallergenic” on a label sounds like the answer. It isn’t a legal term, so here is what to look for instead.

What causes the reaction

The allergy reacts to nickel that comes out of the metal and onto the skin, helped by sweat. So what matters is not whether a metal contains nickel, but how much it releases. Cheap alloys and plated brass release a lot, especially once the coating wears through.

The EU limit, the useful fact

Since 2000 the EU limits how much nickel jewellery may release: 0.5 µg per cm² per week for pieces in long contact with the skin, and 0.2 for piercing posts (REACH, Annex XVII). Jewellery sold in the EU must stay under it. That limit, not the word “hypoallergenic”, is what protects you.

Where 316L steel stands

316L stainless steel does contain nickel, around 10 to 14% of the alloy. But it is held in the steel by a protective chromium layer, and the “L”, low carbon, makes that layer more stable. The result is very little nickel released, which is why it is used for surgical instruments and many piercings. A PVD gold finish adds one more barrier.

Most people with a mild nickel allergy wear 316L without trouble. Some very sensitive people still react.

If your allergy is severe

Titanium (implant grade) and niobium contain no nickel: the safest choice for a severe allergy or a fresh piercing.
Solid gold of 14k or more, and platinum, are other options.
Try one piece first for a few days, and stop if the skin reacts.