Jewelry. I cannot wear any jewelry. Okay, I’m being dramatic. I can’t wear 90% of the jewelry available in the world. Beautiful, colorful, jewelry. Accessories that make me feel good and help my outfits look better. Woe is me.
A few months ago, I splurged and bought a custom 14K solid gold name necklace. I’m allergic to fake, copper and metal jewelry and had given up on buying trendy costume jewelry. Spoiler: it didn’t work out.
Within the first day, I got a little tingle on my neck. Then, it was more than a tingle. I knew it was the necklace, but I didn’t want to believe it. How could it be?! It was solid gold! A few times, I took the necklace off and tried again a few days later, still in denial. Last week, I stubbornly ignored my body and kept the necklace on my neck. Not a good idea.
My skin worsened until I couldn’t take it anymore. It got better (thankfully!) a few days later with the help of Protopic ointment. I felt ridiculous. I risked my skin’s health over a necklace.
But it was solid gold! Here’s the deal - I learned that 14K isn’t actually pure gold, because it is still mixed with metals. 24K is 99.9% pure gold, but it is very malleable. Maybe 18K is good enough for my skin, but I’m not sure I want to spend the money to find out.
Last weekend was my birthday and I stumbled across an all-rubber necklace at the Museum of Fine Arts. I splurged and purchased it - I have to support artists that make plastic or rubber jewelry, because it’s so hard to find!
I think sterling silver may be okay for me, but I don’t know at this point and prefer gold anyway. Who knows if I can wear 18K gold. For now, I’m going to give my skin a break and stay clear of jewelry … unless it’s made of all rubber or plastic.