This post discusses niobium jewelry for people with metal sensitivities.
For years, I haven’t been able to wear earrings because my earlobes would become inflamed, itchy, and I would develop rashes.
I have also developed intensely itchy rashes under my wedding ring several times.
But I’m excited to say I’ve found ways to wear jewelry again, and I will share my tips and tricks in this post.
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Table of Contents
Who is Betsy Leighton?
I’m a writer, blogger, and healer dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with their innate peace and wholeness by healing nervous system dysregulation. My personal experience with chronic illness called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) shapes my work, and my content offers tools to empower those with chronic illness to improve their well-being and take charge of their health.
I created the Sacred Self-Healing Method and am a trained and certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider, an author, blogger, and A Course in Miracles Teacher. I hold a Master of Divinity in Spiritual Counseling and am a trained spiritual mentor, with certificates in sound healing, aromatherapy, nutrition, and Sacred Deathcare. I offer a self-study certificate program in the Sacred Self-Healing Method, provide spiritual counseling and coaching, courses, and supported subscriptions for the Safe and Sound Protocol.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. It can cause severe, disabling symptoms every day, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis.
The common triggers for MCAS are infections, toxic exposures including mold exposure and EMFs, trauma, concussions, and stress.
MCAS often occurs with other chronic conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Managing MCAS is challenging because many healthcare providers are unaware of it, and diagnostic tests can be unreliable. Treatments include antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers in the form of medications and supplements, along with avoiding triggers. Check out this post on managing MCAS.
What is metal sensitivity?
Metal hypersensitivity is a common immune disorder in which the immune system mounts an allergic response to metal ions through skin contact, inhalation, and exposure to metal-containing artificial body implants. The consequences of metal sensitivity can range from simple annoyances to life-threatening systemic illnesses. – source
Many people with MCAS have sensitivities to nickel, a standard metal found in cookware and jewelry, and it’s even in our food supply.
“Allergic hyper-reactivities to nickel (Ni) and beryllium (Be) are the best-studied human metal hypersensitivities. Ni-contact dermatitis affects 10 % of the human population, whereas Be compounds are the culprits of chronic Be disease.” – source
Heavy metal toxicity
The term heavy metal refers to any metallic chemical element that has a relatively high density and is toxic or poisonous at low concentrations. Examples of heavy metals include mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), thallium (Tl), and lead (Pb).
Heavy metal toxicity is one of the causes of MCAS. I’ve discussed toxicity as it relates to MCAS in this post and this post. Heavy metal toxicity differs from metal sensitivity because with heavy metal toxicity, your body has accumulated too much of a poisonous metal, and it affects your liver and other detoxification pathways.
Whereas, metal sensitivity is a reaction to exposure to metals.
What are precious metals?
Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value. Chemically, precious metals tend to be less reactive than most elements. They are usually ductile (or bendable) and have a high luster (they are shiny). Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are considered precious metals.
However, precious metals like gold and silver can also trigger metal sensitization and immunological responses, leading to autoimmune disorders in genetically susceptible individuals. “Mast cells are also direct targets for autoimmunity-inducing metals both in vitro and in vivo and play a role in the development of metal-induced autoimmune disorders.” – source
Metal sensitivity and MCAS
When you already have an overreactive immune system, like in MCAS, metal sensitivity can trigger your mast cells to go haywire.
You can experience hypersensitivity to metal implants, such as hip joints or ports; sensitivity to elemental nickel in your food or cookware; and skin reactions to the base metals in costume jewelry, such as nickel.
“Nickel allergy is a type of contact dermatitis caused by direct contact with nickel. It is the most common identifiable cause of metal-related contact dermatitis.” – source
My jewelry woes
My MCAS worsened over several decades, and while that happened, I lost the ability to tolerate costume jewelry, then silver, surgical steel, and “hypoallergenic” metals, then gold, and finally, in the later stages, I could no longer even tolerate titanium or platinum. Platinum is actually an alloy of two metals: platinum and a platinum-group metal such as iridium (Ir), osmium (Os), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), or ruthenium (Ru). I tried different platinum alloys, but couldn’t find one I could tolerate.
I had some lovely jewelry I couldn’t wear, which made me sad!
Every few years I could wear a pair of platinum earrings for a few hours for special occasions, but if I didn’t take them out as soon as I began to experience itchiness I would end up with a massive MCAS flare.
My wedding ring is white gold, and after a few years of wearing it, I developed a severe rash under the ring. Luckily, when I took it to a jeweler, I had a platinum coating applied to the ring, allowing me to continue wearing it. The coating wore off ten years later, and I had another jeweler apply a second coating, which has so far been working.
Niobium – the miracle for metal sensitivity!
I continued searching for a metal I could tolerate and found I could briefly wear copper ear wires. But just like my past experiences, after a while, that too caused reactions.
My daughter also has metal sensitivity, and when she tried Niobium, she found she could tolerate it. Niobium is a light gray transition metal with the chemical symbol Nb. Pure niobium has a Mohs hardness rating similar to that of pure titanium, and it has the same ductility as iron.
I found several Etsy sellers offering very reasonably priced niobium ear wires, and so I decided to give them a try. And after several months, I have been delighted to be wearing earrings again!
Niobium is similar to pewter in color, but it can be anodized (heated) to produce different permanent colors. You can purchase Niobium ear wires in all colors of the rainbow! I bought several colors of ear wires and used some jeweler’s tools to switch out the ear wires of some of my favorite pairs of earrings — rose gold worked perfectly with my copper-wrapped earrings, gold-toned ones with my gold earrings, and silver ones with my platinum and sterling silver earrings. I’ve been thrilled to wear earrings again!
So far, I haven’t found any delicate Niobium necklace chains for my favorite pendant, but I’m still searching!
Where to buy niobium
I messaged the Etsy seller Robert Cerins, who sold me my Niobium ear wires, and he was happy to partner with me to get the word out about Niobium for those with metal sensitivity. Here is the link to Robert’s online shop, where he sells original art earrings with niobium ear wires. And if you are looking to switch out your ear wires to niobium, here is the link to Robert’s Etsy shop. He sells the most reasonably priced Niobium earwires I’ve found.
I love making connections with like-minded people who want to help others. It turns out that Robert’s wife has a podcast where she interviews people helping to make the world a better place. I’m excited to be invited to appear on their podcast!! So stay tuned for an announcement about that.
The bucket theory
The bucket theory simplifies understanding symptom reactions with MCAS. Imagine your body as an empty bucket you don’t want to overflow. Reactions to various stimuli fill the histamine bucket at different rates, forming the total histamine level (how full your bucket is). More histamine means more symptoms. By managing triggers, reducing exposures, and taking medications and supplements, you can control your bucket’s level.
Know your typical symptom progression
Understanding your symptom progression during a flare is key to developing your rescue plan. This post discusses how to recognize symptom progression so you can be prepared to address them.
Get my free ebook, symptom log, and meal plan!
Want a tool to easily track your symptoms?
Check out these circadian health tools!
I’m an affiliate with Bon Charge, a company that makes tools for circadian health, and you can receive 15% off your order with my coupon code BETSYL.
Bon Charge offers tools such as yellow– and red-tone blue-blocking glasses, red light therapy devices, PEMF mats, infrared saunas, and EMF-blocking products.
Sign up for the SSP!
I’ve found the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to be the most helpful bottom-up healing strategy if your nervous system has been overloaded with toxic exposures, including mold or non-native EMFs, chronic infections, concussions, stress, or trauma. The SSP is a passive listening therapy that helps heal nervous system dysregulation. Many people with MCAS and other chronic conditions have nervous system dysregulation stemming from infections, toxic exposures, concussions, and trauma. The SSP is an easy-to-use app that lets you listen to specially filtered music for 30 minutes each day as part of a 5-hour cycle. Studies show the SSP has a profound effect on mental health and chronic conditions. Here’s a short podcast describing the Safe and Sound Protocol.
You can sign up for the SSP here!
Heal your mind!
While the SSP is a bottom-up, somatic therapy for healing the nervous system, the Sacred Self-Healing Method I offer is a top-down nervous system-healing modality that focuses on cognition, attention, perception, and emotion, using the mind’s higher functions. The SSP and the Sacred Self-Healing Method complement each other and together produce lasting results. Here’s a short podcast on my self-healing practice.
I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching, as well as Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven, novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.
Order my books!
Here’s a short podcast highlighting my five books.
My latest book, Living In The Light: Healing with Forgiveness, Sound, and Light, is all about the tools that have been most helpful for me to heal: forgiveness, sound, through nervous system retraining using the Safe and Sound Protocol, and light, through entraining my circadian rhythm with the energy of the sun. Living In The Light is available here!
Rocks and Roots chronicles my solo backpacking journey on the Superior Hiking Trail and my efforts to overcome nervous system dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms to complete the 328-mile hike successfully.
The Sacred Self-Healing Method ebook is available here and in most ebook retailers!
The Sacred Self-Healing Workbook is available for purchase here!
Betsy’s first book, Sacred Self-Healing: Finding Peace Through Forgiveness, is available here
Companion Recordings
The companion audio recordings of chants, guided meditations, and sound healing demonstrations that accompany the Sacred Self-Healing Method are available for free on my YouTube channel here
What do you think?
I’d love to have your reply below!
Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment.
