The Mine

Welcome to The Mine, a digital magazine where you can explore the exciting world of precious metals and enjoy unearthing the mysteries and beauty behind the world’s most sacred commodities.

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Jewellery Care Design

Pure metals are hypoallergenic

If you’ve ever experienced discomfort from wearing gold or platinum jewellery, like itching or rashes, it’s not the gold or platinum that’s causing your problems. It’s the impurities.

There’s actually a really simple solution, in the form of hypoallergenic jewellery. For us, hypoallergenic jewellery means two things: 24 karat platinum and 24 karat gold.

That’s precisely what all of our ethically sourced jewellery is crafted from, but it’s not all you’ll get from it.

We want to share the reasons why.

Pure metals are hypoallergenic

We know that most people buy jewellery because it feels good, looks better, and makes you feel your very best whilst wearing it.

The problem is, there’s a common sensitivity folks experience when they spend too long in contact with certain types of metals, this can lead to redness, rashes, itchiness, oozing and in some cases bleeding.

The word hypoallergenic is used to talk about jewellery metal that is pleasurable to wear because it does not contain any impurities that could cause an allergic reaction.

Coded into that word is the added benefit that hypoallergenic jewellery is by its very nature purer in quality than other jewellery.

The trouble with nickel

If you’ve ever put on a piece of jewellery and started to feel a little uncomfortable after a while, you’re not alone.

A little itch here and a slight rash there are surprisingly common side effects when your skin interacts with impure metals – and the culprit?

Nickel.

What you might not know is that while slight reactions are common, as many as 1 in 6 people may experience more severe allergies to nickel.

The problem and how we can solve it

One of the reasons that gold and platinum are considered precious metals is that they are so unreactive. This means that they are very unlikely to change their state, react with other elements, and are easy to store.

This low reactivity is also the reason that pure gold and platinum make jewellery hypoallergenic.

White gold and even 18k gold is made with nickel, and that trademark shine is actually just low-quality plating.

Unlike 24k gold, which will always be brilliant, the plating used to jack up the price of impure metals rubs off pretty quickly.

Essentially, as the nickel and other impurities spend more time in contact with your skin, the more likely you are to experience a reaction. Pure, 24 karat gold and platinum contain 0% nickel, meaning that the chance of experiencing a reaction is 0%.

With hypogenic gold, the pleasure you get from the glimmer in your jewellery is reflected back in the investment you make in your jewellery.

We believe in creating jewellery to appreciate. Essentially, buying gold that is anything under 24k is paying for an advertisement when you should only be paying for pure gold.

The best jewellery to invest in

There’s a reason that people are always saying that you should buy physical gold – it’s a historically dependable investment.

True – but physical gold doesn’t just come in the form of bullion.

Gold value explained

People who are buying gold are usually doing so in the understanding that the price of gold is usually inflation-proof.

But the future gold value is only meaningful if your gold jewellery goes the distance.

Of course, you could hoard gold heirlooms, but we believe in investments that you can wear and relish in and really feel the value of—appreciating it, as it appreciates for you.

While most gold is a safe bet, if you’re looking for a guarantee, then the only way forward is through pure, hypoallergenic 24k gold, and we will get into exactly why that is in just a moment.

Platinum value explained

Quality platinum investment, just like being smart about buying gold, relies on the parallel understandings of exceptional jewellery, investment opportunity, and the inherent aspirational quality of platinum as a precious metal.

What gives platinum value? What actually separates a piece of platinum from another heavy metal?

It is the relationship between the subtle pull of a platinum ring on your finger, the fine quality and rarity of the material itself, and the knowledge that every moment that you spend with platinum jewellery is actively working to repay you in kind.

What to watch out for when investing in gold and platinum

You need to know a few things before you take the plunge into buying physical gold and platinum. That’s because the inflation proof properties of gold have everything to do with purity.

We design, craft, and sell 24k gold and 24k platinum that is hypoallergenic. Why? Because we think about jewellery as an asset to be put on, not to be put away.

The very best jewellery should rest easy on your skin without weighing on your mind. So, knowing what gold to buy is one thing, but if you’re looking for jewellery investment advice you can trust – you need to know what not to buy too.

So, what’s wrong with silver?

Absolutely nothing at all but investing in gold and silver is all about purity, and by that yardstick, even sterling silver isn’t necessarily safe.

Sterling silver is only actually around 90% pure.

That may seem like a small amount, but the finest margins make all the difference as we strive to design our 100% pure jewellery with genuine appreciation in mind.

Why buy gold and platinum hypoallergenic jewellery?

It is pretty natural to think about the term hypoallergenic all wrapped up in surgical cleanliness and skin complaints. We wanted to debunk the myth of the term hypoallergenic and uncover its relationship with pure precious metal.

We’re promoting a new understanding of hypoallergenic jewellery that’s infused with style and glamour.

To achieve this there was only ever actually two options to begin with – 24k gold and 24k platinum.