Engagement ring…wedding ring….suffering?  Have you developed a rash around your wedding ring that’s itchy and uncomfortable?  Wedding ring rash (also known as wedding ring dermatitis) is most common in married women, but in fact anyone wearing any ring for prolonged periods of time can develop an allergic skin reaction.

Quite often we see ladies here who are experiencing skin irritation under their engagement, wedding or eternity rings and want to know what might be causing it.

In the past, we would look at the type of metal and check for nickel content, as this often caused allergic reactions in wearers, but now that nickel no longer forms a part of most jewellery metal alloys, we’ve discovered that the ring design itself is often the culprit.

Often gemstones are set into rings leaving small holes beneath, the theory being that this enhances the sparkle of your precious gem by allowing the light to travel through – this isn’t actually the case however.  Many rings are so constructed because it means they are lighter in weight and so cost less.  However, the small holes allow soap and debris to build up inside and this can often lead to mild, or very occasionally, severe dermatitis.  Itchy, scaly, red and swollen skin is no fun, so what to do?

Bring your ring to us and we can work to solve your problem.  We an re-make your ring so that there is no longer any opportunity for detergent or dirt to build up and cause the reaction in future.  We can check for nickel content and if necessary replace the metal with new, nickel-free, metal too.

It’s a quick and simple process and we can leave you with a ring that looks the same as the one you originally chose, but no longer has the elements that are most likely to cause irritation.

Call either of our stores for an appointment or simply pop in!  We look forward to meeting you.