Is 925 Sterling Silver Hypoallergenic? Or is it Allergenic?

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Is 925 sterling silver hypoallergenic?

Or is it allergenic?

Is sterling silver jewelry safe to wear for people with known silver allergies?

Learn it right below!

TLDR- Is 925 Sterling Silver Hypoallergenic or Allergenic?

925 sterling silver is hypoallergenic.

925 sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of copper. Pure silver is hypoallergenic to everyone except a small group of people allergic to silver.

Copper is also a hypoallergenic metal with only a small percent of the population reacting negatively to it.

The amount of copper in 925 sterling is small and usually not enough to cause a severe allergic reaction to it.

The two photos bellow shows someone with clear signs of sterling silver allergy. That’s the type of skin blemish you’ll encounter if you’re allergic to sterling silver.

925 sterling silver allergy example 1- source

925 sterling silver allergy example 2- source

Here’s an awesome quiz about 925 sterling silver and it’s allergenic properties. Take it after you’ve read my guide.

Is 925 Sterling Silver Hypoallergenic? Or is it Allergenic?

Table of Contents

Is Pure Sterling Silver Hypoallergenic or Allergenic?

Pure sterling silver is hypoallergenic. But pure sterling silver is a misnomer.

Sterling silver can never be pure because sterling silver is always an alloy of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of copper.

100% pure silver exists, but it isn’t sterling silver. Pure silver is never used alone in jewelry-making because it’s too soft and malleable.

Are Sterling Silver Earrings Hypoallergenic?

Yes, sterling silver earring are hypoallergenic.

With 92.5% of pure silver and only 7.5% of copper the risk of allergic reaction is minimal.

However, people with allergy to silver, copper or both need to avoid wearing sterling silver earrings.

Keep in mind that not all sterling silver earring are dangerous for people with metal allergies.

Drop earrings are unlikely to cause skin allergies simply because they’re not touching the skin in any way.

Clip-on earrings, ear cuffs, or magnetic earrings are much more dangerous because the earring is touching the earlobe with a large surface area.

Sterling silver drop earrings have minimal skin contact and aren't allergenic for most people in most circumstances. — Sterling silver drop earrings have minimal skin contact and aren’t allergenic for most people in most circumstances.- source

Sterling silver clip-on earrings are more allergenic because of a prolonged skin exposure. Source

Is Sterling Silver Bullion Hypoallergenic?

Yes, sterling silver bullion is hypoallergenic.

Sterling silver coins and bars are unlikely to give you skin dermatitis, unless you have severe silver or copper sensitivity.

Sterling silver bullion is relatively rare though. Most premium grade bullion is made of fine silver (99.9) and that’s the one precious metal investors go crazy about.

A good example is IRA-approved silver. These coins and bars must be at least 99.9% pure. They must also be issued by a national government mint or other accredited and government sponsored organizations (COMEX, NYMEX, NYSE/Liffe/CBOT, TOCOM, LME, LBMA, LPPM, and ISO-9000 or a sovereign mint like for example Royal Canadian Mint).

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Are Various Types of Vermeil Hypoallergenic or Allergenic?

Depending on the type different types of vermeil can be hypoallergenic or allergenic.

The most popular vermeils are yellow gold vermeil, white gold vermeil and rose gold vermeil.

Yellow gold vermeil is hypoallergenic when the gold plate over sterling silver base is made of 22k, 20k, 18k and 14k gold. Higher-karat gold has a much higher percentage of hypoallergenic yellow gold and much lower percentage of other, potentially allergenic metals. Yellow gold vermeil is allergenic when the gold plate over the sterling silver base is made of 8k, 9k, 10k and 12k gold. Lower-karat gold has a much lower percentage of non-allergenic yellow gold, and a much higher percentage of other, potentially allergenic metals.
White gold vermeil isn’t hypoallergenic. It’s allergenic. Both high-karat and low-karat white gold vermeil are allergenic because in both cases the nickel content in the white gold alloy is too high, and nickel is a common allergen metal for people with sensitive skin. White gold vermeil is hypoallergenic when when nickel is replaced with palladium in the alloy. Replacing nickel with palladium also makes white gold jewelry hypoallergenic.
Rose gold vermeil is hypoallergenic when the rose gold plate over sterling silver base is made of 22k, 20k, 18k and 14k rose gold. Higher-karat rose gold has a much higher percentage of hypoallergenic yellow gold and much lower percentage of copper, a common allergenic metal that makes rose gold allergenic for some people. Rose gold vermeil is allergenic when the rose gold plate over the sterling silver base is made of 8k, 9k, 10k and 12k rose gold. Lower-karat gold has a much lower percentage of non-allergenic yellow gold, and a much higher percentage of copper, a common allergenic metal.

Are Different Forms of Silver More or Less Hypoallergenic than 925 Sterling Silver?

Different forms of silver can be either more or less hypoallergenic than 925 sterling silver. This depends on the type of silver and its purity.

999 silver or “fine silver” is completely hypoallergenic for everyone except for people with silver sensitivity.
958 silver or Britannia silver is more hypoallergenic than 925 sterling silver. This is because 958 silver contains 95.84% silver and 4.16% copper or zinc. Silver, copper and zinc are all allergenic but only to a very small percentage of people who come in touch with Britannia silver. Most people can wear jewelry made of 958 silver without any issue.
900 silver or “coin silver” is hypoallergenic. However, 900 silver is more allergenic than 925 sterling silver. It’s because 900 silver contains 90% silver and 10% copper or zinc. Silver, copper and zinc are all allergenic, but only to a very small percentage of people who come in touch with 900 silver. Most people can wear jewelry made of 900 silver without any issue.
800 silver or “Continental Silver” or “European Silver” is hypoallergenic. However, 800 silver is more allergenic than 925 sterling silver. It’s because 800 silver contains 80% silver and 20% copper or zinc. Silver, copper and zinc are all allergenic, but only to a very small percentage of people who come in touch with 800 silver. Most people can wear jewelry made of 800 silver without any issue.
500 is allergenic, unlike 925 sterling silver which is hypoallergenic. 500 silver contains 50% silver and 50% copper or zinc. Silver, copper and zinc are all allergenic, but copper and zinc are bigger offender than pure silver. Jewelry made of 500 silver has too much copper and zinc for people with sensitive skin to comfortably wear. I suggest you avoid it if you have a known metal allergy.