Hiya
I recently got Kerry Boggert's Totally Twisted, which is a gorgeous book and I'm keen to have a go. However, I have a big problem in that I'm really allergic to base metals - anything in contact with my skin for any length of time tends to bring me out in contact dermatitis.
Realistically, to try to make any of the necklace projects in Kerry's book out of all Sterling Silver is going to bankrupt me at current prices, so I just wonder if anyone can suggest anything cheaper that is also very hypoallergenic? I am terrified of using the coloured craft wires she suggests, as I think they will just be a recipe for disaster.
Any ideas?
Thanks
H
Could you try latex gloves? Can you cope with copper, plated in silver? Not sure love, I'm sure someone will know. Good luck!
I've just bought some silver filled wire off ebay..it's like gold filled, a sort of tube of silver filled with either copper or brass and the silver is supposed to be much thicker than plated wires so it should last a long time and hopefully be hypoallergenic. The seller was called cigarboxearrings and I got 13ft for about £4. I've also seen it listed by the same seller on etsy. I'm going to give it a go coz silver is getting too dear for me too :)
I'm the other way round (gold hates me), it's either allergy cream, latex gloves or grit your teeth and cope with the itching and try to build up a tolerance.
You can get these spray on platers that was recommended to me a while ago if the gloves would make it too awkward to manipulate the wire.
I believe Niobium is hypoallergenic - it's used a lot in a lot of body jewellery. You can get it anodised in lots of colours as well as in its natural colour.
Helen don't you just love totally twisted? its my favourite craft book, i flick through it all the time (actually at least once a week!) the coloured craft wires are enamelled copper, i assume that means copper is out of the question for you! so how about aluminium? i'm pretty sure that's meant to be hypoallergenic
here's a link to some http://www.wires.co.uk/acatalog/colour_aluminium.html
Thanks for the suggestions so far - I just want to say that this jewellery would be for me to wear, so i don't think it would look very nice with latex gloves on :D :D :-*
I don't know if aluminium is hypoallergenic - I saw you can get some silk coated aluminimum wire in a few colours, but wouldn't the silk get mucky over time? Oh it's a quandry ;D
Titanium, nobium and vintaj brass. I have similar probs but these are all good! I think nobium is just fully hard wire though so tougher to bend , George would know this! :)
Are you OK holding drinks cans? They are pretty much all aluminium so it could be an option as suggested. ( wiv or wivout latex :P )
;D
Lol, I'm not THAT allergic - I have to be wearing the thing for a few hours before I'll get a rash from it! :D
Quote from: helbels on February 16, 2011, 06:24:43 PM
Lol, I'm not THAT allergic - I have to be wearing the thing for a few hours before I'll get a rash from it! :D
Cut around one to make a bangle and see ;D
I am allergic to anything with nickel in it, maybe it's the nickel you are allergic to as it's a common allergen, might be worth looking for nickel free stuff.
Rofl @ Vicki... I think the risk of severing my wrist with the sharp metal edge might put me off that idea! ;D
Most of these types of allergies are with nickel I believe all the wires and materials for jewellery making, buttons, clasps etc from the UK must be nickel free now (well extremely low nickel content ) but this does not apply if you buy outside UK, I think it might be a EU wide thing but not sure. I don't believe though that this newish law is followed properly. Testing something fore nickel is really expensive.
hmmmm yes i thought that it could get a bit mucky too Helen! Looking at the price i would definately give the aluminium a go, its only a few £ for a 3m length and obviously make a tester piece with it! if you could stand having a possible reaction to it that is!
Ahh I thought it was just things you wanted to play with.
I have some of the copper coated coloured wire if you are up for trying it out without having to fork out I could send you some.
Though maybe the best option is the silk covered aluminium
http://wires.co.uk/acatalog/al_silk_wire.html
Jammie yeah it is hard to find plated that follows the rules, I once asked in a bead store if their earwires were nickel free (knowing I could get nickel free if I waited for a mail order) only to be told that it was impossible to get nickel free, I dare not imagine what content it was and I don't think they would even know. Had to buy one pair though just to see what the quality was like, soon as I put the tools to them the plating (or should I say paint) crumbled away to reveal that (not so lovely) grey.
metal sensitivities are a real problem for a lot of people. If you want to be able to wear the finished product, it may be best to just stick to those you know you can wear and bite the bullet on the cost. You could also try using something like protectaclear, which completely coats the finished piece, and should stop any metal to skin content.
Most of the alternative wires are not suitable for hand manipulation - and will either be too hard to work, or will simply break before you'd ever manage to coil them.
That's what we found with the nobium George, I really like it, but its best for earrings with just a turned loop, I have lots of these :) :)
I Googled "hypoallergenic wire" and came up with a few links. This is one of them http://www.beadingdaily.com/forums/p/1060/4653.aspx