Materials and allergies

A word on allergies:

Generally, no material is 100% allergy safe. To any material, a small percentage of the population will be allergic to some degree. The topic is complex and misunderstandings occur. We avoid using the term “hypoallergenic” as it is diffuse and misleading. The term “hypoallergenic” is not regulated; neither industry standards nor legal requirements exist that need to be adhered to to make the claim that a material or product is hypoallergenic. Generally, by their labels materials often sound more “noble” as they are. Below just a few examples:

Stainless or surgical steel are often labelled as hypoallergenic. Both contain some nickel and sensitive people may react to it as well. 
Plated materials, e.g., gold-plated: usually there is a layer of copper or nickel between the material used for plating (e.g., gold) and the base. In case the top layer wears off one will be exposed to the linking layer (copper, nickel) and eventually the base material. 
Gold-filled means that a coat of gold alloy is bonded to a base. This core is usually brass (which also contains copper); sometimes the core consists of silver or copper. 
Even sterling silver contains a small amount of copper so that some people need to avoid it.

However, you probably know best what to wear and what to avoid. For many of our products the metal parts are easily exchangeable. This may be done by us or even by the customer. We are happy to work with you in case you require a specific material. Please email us at info@saskashaw.com.