Metal sensitivity

Sensitive skin? Here is exactly what our jewelry is made of

Every Balmante piece is built on solid 925 sterling silver and contains no nickel, lead or cadmium — the three metals behind almost every jewelry allergy. This page tells you what that means for your skin, which finish to choose, and what a green mark actually is (not an allergy).

Nickel-free Lead- & cadmium-free Solid 925 silver under every finish 30-day exchange if a finish does not suit you

A green mark and an allergy are two different things

Most people who write to us about "a reaction" have one of these. They look nothing alike once you know what to check.

Harmless · very common

A green or grey mark on the skin

A faint green line under a ring, no itching, washes off with soap. This is oxidation: the small amount of copper that every silver and gold alloy needs for strength reacts with acidic skin, sweat, soap film or hand cream, and the residue tints the skin. It happens with fine jewelry, costs nothing and harms nothing.

Comes and goes with the weather, hormones, stress and what you put on your hands.
More likely on humid days, after sport, and under a ring worn 24/7.
Not a sign of poor quality — 925 silver is 92.5 % silver and 7.5 % copper by definition.

What to do: wash the finger, dry the ring, keep creams off it. The habits in our care guide stop it almost entirely.

Allergy · rare

Itching, redness, small blisters

Contact dermatitis is an immune reaction, and in jewelry it is almost always to nickel. It itches, it reddens, and it appears wherever the metal touches, usually within hours. Cobalt and chromium can do the same; copper and silver very rarely do.

We do not use nickel in any piece — not in the silver, not in the plating layers.
If you react to cheap fashion jewelry but not to sterling silver or gold, you are most likely nickel-sensitive and our pieces should suit you.
A genuine copper or silver allergy exists but is rare; if you have been diagnosed with one, choose 18K gold-plated pieces, which keep the copper-bearing alloy away from the skin.

What to do: take the piece off, let the skin settle, and write to us. Within 30 days we exchange it for a different finish or take it back.

What is in our jewelry

Base of every piece

925 sterling silver Hypoallergenic

92.5 % pure silver, 7.5 % copper for strength. The standard for fine silver jewelry worldwide, and the reason our pieces are safe for most sensitive skin. Natural-finish pieces are this metal, polished.

Gold pieces

18K gold plating

A thick layer of 18-karat gold over the same solid 925 silver — five times thicker than standard fashion plating. Gold itself is one of the least reactive metals there is, so gold-plated pieces keep the copper-bearing alloy away from the skin for as long as the plating lasts.

Stones

Cubic zirconia

Hand-cut, laboratory-created and chemically inert — a stone never causes a skin reaction. Settings are the same silver or gold as the piece.

Never in a Balmante piece: nickel, lead, cadmium. If any product page ever says otherwise, it is a mistake — tell us.

Which finish should you choose?

Nickel allergy (the usual one)

Either finish. Neither contains nickel. Choose on looks.

Skin that turns green easily

18K gold-plated first — the gold layer sits between skin and alloy. Keep it dry and it stays that way for years.

Diagnosed copper or silver allergy

Gold-plated, worn away from water and sweat so the plating stays intact — and write to us first; we will say honestly whether a piece suits you.

Read the signs

You notice	Most likely	What to do
Green or grey line under a ring, no itching	Copper oxidation from acidic skin, sweat or cream	Wash it off; wear the ring dry; creams before jewelry, fully absorbed.
Dark mark that appears after hand cream or sunscreen	Chemicals in the product reacting with the alloy	Apply, wait until dry, then put the ring on. Rinse the ring after.
Itching, redness or tiny blisters where the metal touches	Contact allergy — check whether a previous reaction was to costume jewelry (nickel)	Take it off, let the skin recover, contact us; exchange for the other finish within 30 days.
Reaction only in summer or after the gym	Sweat concentrating salts and acids under the band	Take rings off for sport; rinse and dry the finger and the ring afterwards.
Reaction on one finger only, same ring on another finger is fine	Trapped moisture or soap under a tighter band	Dry under the ring after washing; consider one size up (size guide).

If you know your skin is sensitive: the first week

Wear it a few hours

Day one, wear the piece for two or three hours at home, dry, without cream underneath. Any true allergy shows itself within hours; oxidation takes days.

Build up

Days two to four, wear it through the day and take it off at night. Watch the skin under it, not the metal.

Keep it dry

Off for showers, hand-washing, sport. Ninety percent of "reactions" are moisture and soap trapped under a band.

Decide by day seven

Calm skin: wear it as you like. Any redness or itching: stop and write to us — you have 30 days from delivery to exchange or return.

Questions we are asked

Is your jewelry hypoallergenic?

Yes in the sense that matters: it contains none of the metals that cause jewelry allergies — nickel, lead or cadmium — and its base is solid 925 sterling silver, the standard for sensitive skin. No metal on earth is reaction-free for every single person, which is why we give you 30 days to find out at no risk.

My finger went green — is the ring bad quality?

No. The green comes from the 7.5 % copper that every piece of sterling silver in the world contains, reacting with your skin's chemistry. It is harmless and washes off. It is also why keeping the ring dry and cream-free matters more than what you paid for it.

Does gold plating stop the green mark?

Usually, yes — as long as the plating is intact. Gold does not react with skin. Wear the piece away from water and sport so the gold layer lasts, and the alloy underneath never touches you.

Should I coat the inside of my ring with clear nail varnish?

We do not recommend it. Varnish traps moisture, flakes within days, and can itself irritate skin. Dry wear and cream-free hands work better and cost nothing.

How do I remove a green mark from my skin?

Warm water and soap, with a soft nailbrush if needed. For a stubborn mark, a little make-up remover on cotton, then wash. Nothing harsher is necessary.

Can I return a piece if my skin reacts?

Yes. Within 30 days of delivery you can exchange it for a different finish or return it under our return policy. A skin reaction is not a product fault, so the warranty does not apply — the exchange is how we solve it.

Are your earrings safe for newly pierced ears?

For a fresh piercing follow your piercer's advice on healing time. Once healed, our nickel-free 925 silver and 18K gold-plated posts are a sound choice for sensitive ears.

Not sure which finish suits your skin?

Tell us what you have reacted to before and what you have worn without trouble. We will point you at the right piece — usually within one business day.

Help me choose Jewelry care guide