She also has extensive research experience in marketing, small business, Web development and SEO. Still, you should still take certain precautions when it comes to how you handle your jewelry. When dealing with pewter that contains lead, this ingestion commonly occurs through eating or drinking food from pewter vessels. The water pressure and temperature changes can cause metal prongs or clasps to expand or contract, creating gaps that allow diamonds to slip out. Lead can leach into food from the pewter container, particularly with more acidic foods, leading to heightened lead content in the food. I get this question a lot and the answer is relatively simple so lets dig in. Proper care is an important part of keeping your jewelry looking it's best. Glass jewelry is a wonderful way to express your style and personality. Hirsh has a bachelor's degree in technical theater and English and post-baccalaureate training in writing and computer software. By using our site, you agree to our. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Pewter is a metal alloy that is safe to wear as jewelry. If you're allergic or react to nickel, which is most common, then you'll need to know where the jewelry's raw materials have come from or carefully read the jewelry's metal description. This heavy pewter piece features decorative solid brass scrolled accents & unique bat shaped feet. Lets say youre wearing a stainless-steel ring or bracelet. However, low-quality Cubic Zirconia stones may be softer and more prone to damage from water and chemicals. The holiday season is coming up and Thanksgiving is only a few days away (eek)! In addition, breathing large quantities of cadmium dust causes severe lung damage.. Showering with gold plated jewelry can eventually cause the gold layer to wear off completely, therefore you should definitely refrain from doing so. Instead, look for jewelry thats labeled non-toxic. The time you have to wait for the test may vary depending on how busy the lab is. Lead is a common element in the world; most people come into contact with it daily without danger. This copper salt is what is actually turning our skin green. If you're going gold, I'd stick to those two and skip the plated gold pieces. Platinum is expensive but it beats breaking out in rashes if you can afford it. [2]. Vintage Jewelry Avon Cat Brooch Gold Tone Wear Sell Rhinestone Eyes. "Costume or 'fashion' jewelry that consists of sterling silver or nickel plating has a . By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Pewter is very popular with "street" and casual jewelry design styles. While the metal itself doesnt have high monetary value, youll find that pewter jewelry pieces are often highly prized for their craftsmanship and artistic value. All rights reserved. It is only an issue when someone puts jewelry in their mouth or breathes in lead dust. Nickel is known to cause skin irritation., Older jewelry that was made before current regulations is also a risk. Those that do experience a reaction should transition to metals that are hypoallergenic. Wearing solid gold jewelry, white gold or yellow gold, in the shower will not harm the metal itself, however it can reduce the shine therefore it is not recommended. Lotion can get into the crevices of chains and prongs. but still gives a nasty burn. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/42\/Test-Jewelry-for-Lead-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Test-Jewelry-for-Lead-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/42\/Test-Jewelry-for-Lead-Step-1.jpg\/aid9898539-v4-728px-Test-Jewelry-for-Lead-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"