Terracotta jewellery for sensitive skin

If gold-plated jewellery leaves a mark on your neck by the end of an evening, the plating is usually not the problem. What is underneath it is.

What causes the reaction

Most contact dermatitis from jewellery is a nickel reaction. Nickel is used as a base metal under plating because it is hard, cheap and takes a finish well. It is also one of the most common contact allergens there is — the figure usually cited is around one in ten people.

A new plated piece may cause no trouble at all. The problem arrives as the plating wears, particularly where the piece rubs against skin, because the nickel beneath is then in direct contact. This is why a set that was fine last season can start marking you this one.

Lead and cadmium appear in cheap alloys and solder, and copper turns some skin green — harmless, but not what you wanted.

What is in a terracotta piece

Four things, and that is the whole list.

• Fired clay. Natural river clay from the Cauvery basin, kiln-fired for eight hours. Inert once fired.
• Non-toxic paint. Water-based acrylic and metallic colour, then a matte sealant.
• Kemp stones. Glass and resin, set into the clay by hand.
• Cotton dori. A plain cotton tie, adjustable, no metal clasp.

No nickel, no lead, no plating, and in most of our sets no metal at all. There is nothing to wear through, because there is no coating over a base — the colour is fired into the clay body. There is more on how that works here.

The one thing to check

Earrings. A drop earring needs something to pass through the ear, and that is metal.

The fitting varies by piece, so we will not make a blanket claim about it. If metal sensitivity is a concern for you, message us on WhatsApp before you order and tell us which set you are looking at — we will check that pair and tell you exactly what the fitting is made of. Where it matters we can also fit a different hook.

Necklaces and chokers have no metal component at all. If you know metal is a problem, a set worn on a cotton dori is the safest thing we make.

The practical argument

Weight matters for skin too. A heavy metal set drags on the ear and presses at the back of the neck, and sustained pressure on skin that is already reactive makes things worse. A full terracotta bridal set weighs 60 to 110 grams, which is why people wear ours from the morning ceremony through to the reception without taking them off.

Still, a few habits

Put jewellery on last, after perfume and hair spray. Both are far more likely to irritate skin than the piece itself, and both dull a sealed terracotta finish.

Wipe with a dry cloth after wearing, and never water — it is not a skin issue, it is a paint issue, but the habits go together. Our care guide covers the rest.

If you are unsure whether a set will suit you, message us on WhatsApp and ask. We will tell you what is in the piece and what the fitting is made of, and if the honest answer is that we cannot promise, we will say that instead.