Disclosure: Some of the links you’ll encounter are affiliate links. If you click and buy something, I’ll get a commission. If you’re reading a review of some precious metals company, please understand that some of the links are affiliate links that help me pay my bills and write about what I love with no extra cost to you. Thank you!
Osmium is hypoallergenic and is one of the least likely jewelry metals to cause allergic reactions.
However, this only applies to osmium in solid state (osmium jewelry and osmium bullion).
Osmium in powdered form oxidizes and forms osmium tetroxide, a highly toxic and corrosive substance which causes severe burns and irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system.
However, powdered osmium only exists in lab setting and in normal circumstances you’ll be dealing with solid osmium in jewelry and bullion forms, and in both cases osmium isn’t allergenic.
Learn more below!
- Can You Be Allergic to Osmium?
- Is Solid, Pure Osmium Toxic to Humans? What about Osmium Jewelry?
- Is Osmium Bullion Hypoallergenic?
- Is Osmium Jewelry Hypoallergenic?
- Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Gold?
- Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Silver?
- Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Platinum?
- Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Palladium?
- Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Ruthenium?
Here’s an awesome quiz about osmium’s allergenic properties. Take it after you’ve read my guide for your best results.
Table of Contents
Can You Be Allergic to Osmium?
Yes, you can be allergic to osmium, though osmium sensitivity is very rare in general population.
Osmium is one of the PGM’s and people allergic to platinum, palladium, iridium, rhodium, or ruthenium are most likely to negatively respond to osmium.
Note: osmium’s allergenic properties aren’t the same as its toxicity.
See below for more details.
Is Solid, Pure Osmium Toxic to Humans? What about Osmium Jewelry?
No, solid, pure osmium isn’t toxic to humans. Jewelry made of osmium is safe and non-toxic as well.
However, osmium in powdered form oxidizes and produces osmium tetroxide (osmium(VIII) oxide) which everyone is sensitive to.
Osmium tetroxide is a very toxic substance that can deal lasting damage to humans who’re exposed to it.
Common symptoms of osmium tetroxide exposure are:
- eye irritation,
- burns,
- potential blindness,
- respiratory issues like cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath,
- skin irritation, burns, and discoloration,
- systemic effects such as liver and kidney damage.
These symptoms are the reason why most people are hesitant to buy osmium jewelry and bullion, even though osmium in its solid form is perfectly safe and non-toxic.
Is Osmium Bullion Hypoallergenic?
No, osmium bullion isn’t allergenic. It’s hypoallergenic.
Pure osmium in bullion form won’t cause problems for you if you’re not hyper sensitive to other metals from the platinum group. And osmium in bullion form doesn’t produce osmium tetroxide which would be highly toxic to you and anyone around you.
Is Osmium Jewelry Hypoallergenic?
No, osmium jewelry isn’t allergenic. It’s hypoallergenic.
Osmium in jewelry form won’t cause problems for you if you’re not hyper sensitive to other metals from the platinum group. And osmium alloyed with other metals won’t produce osmium tetroxide, a toxic gas that can deal permanent physiological damage upon exposure.
Note: pure osmium jewelry is exceedingly rare on the market. This is due to low yearly production of osmium (~1-2 metric tons of osmium are produced each year. And only 4% of osmium mined during the year is used in producing exquisite and extremely expensive jewelry pieces).
That’s why you’ll almost never see pure osmium piece of jewelry buy you will see osmium as part often central part of some intricately designed jewelry pieces.
Take a look at the osmium jewelry examples below. These would all by 100% hypoallergenic if you were to wear them.
Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Gold?
Osmium is less allergenic than gold.
Osmium is hypoallergenic and rarely mixed with other metals, some of which are potentially allergenic.
Pure, 24k gold is also hypoallergenic, but all other gold alloys can cause allergic attacks in sensitive individuals depending on the metals in that alloy.
For example, white gold often has a lot of nickel in it, and nickel is a very allergenic jewelry metal and a good chunk of the population are sensitive to it.
Another example is rose gold. Rose gold has a lot of coper in it and copper is a common metal allergen, though not to the extent nickel is.
Low purity gold alloys like 5k, 6k, 8k, 9k and 10k gold are also dangerous to people with metal allergies because they have too little pure gold in them, and too much other metals, some of which are going to be problematic.
Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Silver?
Osmium is less allergenic than silver.
Solid osmium is chemically inert and hypoallergenic to everyone except a handful of people allergic to all PGM’s (platinum, palladium, iridium, rhodium, ruthenium and osmium).
Silver is a known, though rare, allergen metal and cases of allergic contact dermatitis caused by pure silver have been documented.
For many people, a “silver allergy” is actually a reaction to nickel or other metals mixed into a silver alloy to increase its hardness. Sterling silver, for instance, contains 92.5% silver and typically 7.5% copper. Copper is a common allergenic metal, but adding to that many less reputable manufacturers use nickel in their alloys to cut on costs.
And nickel is a powerful allergenic metal.
Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Platinum?
Osmium is less allergenic than platinum.
Pure platinum is hypoallergenic, and so is pure osmium, but platinum is often alloyed with allergenic metals making those platinum alloys allergenic as well.
Platinum 500 and Platinum 600 are common culprits as they contain only 50% and 60% of pure platinum respectively, with the rest filled with copper, a common metal allergen.
Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Palladium?
Osmium is less allergenic than palladium.
Pure palladium is hypoallergenic, and so is pure osmium, but palladium is often alloyed with allergenic metals making those palladium alloys allergenic as well.
Palladium 500 is a common culprit as it contains only 50% pure palladium, with the rest filled with copper and a little bit of silver. Copper is a common metal allergen.
Is Osmium More or Less Allergenic than Ruthenium?
Osmium is less allergenic than ruthenium. However, both metals in their pure forms are chemically inert and very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction.
.Ruthenium is more used in jewelry design than osmium. It’s because there’s more ruthenium than osmium on the market and because ruthenium has higher jewelry workability compared to osmium.
Ruthenium is also used to thinly coat allergenic base metals (like copper or nickel or even sterling silver) in jewelry design, and even though ruthenium is hypoallergenic allergic reactions can occur when this coating is damaged or severely thinned out.
Is Osmium Hypoallergenic? Is it Toxic? Conclusion
Osmium is hypoallergenic in solid form (jewelry and bullion), making it one of the least allergenic jewelry metals.
Solid osmium poses minimal risk even though rare osmium sensitivity can occur in people allergic to other platinum group metals.
However, powdered osmium oxidizes to form osmium tetroxide, a highly toxic substance that causes severe burns, eye damage, respiratory issues, and potential organ damage.
This dangerous osmium form only exists in laboratory settings. Pure osmium jewelry is extremely rare due to limited annual production (1-2 metric tons yearly, with only 4% used for jewelry).
And osmium is one of the hardest substances on Earth with a hardness of around 7 on the Mohs scale. This means you wouldn’t be able to produce powdered osmium from solid osmium jewelry and bullion even if you tried it.
Most osmium jewelry incorporates this precious metal as part of intricate designs rather than pure osmium pieces. In practical consumer applications, osmium remains safe and hypoallergenic.
Check out our jewelry store next. We don’t sell osmium jewelry though. We ship our products worldwide.
References:
- Osmium Tetroxide: Information for the Public- https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/mdhhs/Folder1/Folder29/mdch-osmium_tetroxide_fs.pdf
- Crystalline Osmium: Discover the Rarest Precious Metal on Earth- https://www.katerinaperez.com/articles/crystalline-osmium-rarest-precious-metal-intriguing-jewellers-watchmakers
- Metal Allergy and Systemic Contact Dermatitis: An Overview- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3369403/
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.
