Metals for Sensitive Skin

I weigh the man, not his title; 'tis not the king's stamp can make the metal better.
-William Wycherley, ~1700


One might think that silver and gold are the best choices for our precious bauble, but this is not the case when it comes to those with delicate ears.

I have been getting really excited about earrings for a while now, and the ironic thing is that I don't wear them! I love the old vintage clip-ons I have collected over time, but I am thinking that is just not enough anymore. And, since I started making earrings last year, as part of my fancy for jewelry beading, I have become super ready to start wearing them again.

Part of the riddle was this... why would I ever want to wear earrings again when my skin rejected them every time I tried since I was 8 years old? So I set out doing some research on the best metals to wear in earrings, in order to get past the sensitivities and to additionally use the safest quality materials in the earrings I make for others.

Here is what I found-

The culprits:

• Nickel is one of the most allergenic metals to humans in the world. 
• Nickel is found mixed into almost all metals unless they state that they are nickel free. For example, sterling silver (ie 928) is 92.8% silver... and nickel is one of the other things often mixed into the other 7.2%. Same goes for surgical steel, though a fine polish is supposed to seal the surface from risk of nickel exposure.
• Arsenic, obviously bad for creatures of all kinds, is found in some metals. 

How to stay clear:

• Bronze has risk of arsenic in it at times.
• If you don't mind a little risk, just buy nickel-free sliver or gold plated jewelry. Usually this is plated over something like copper. 
• If you are annoyed that the plating wears off, use safer metals. Gold is especially easily scratched and is not allowed, according to US standards, in piercing studs. 
• Generally, if you are the sentitive type, then wear metals that are used for piercing studs because they are proven safe with the tender layers of skin. 
• Copper and brass do not have nickel, but some people have a reaction where their skin turns green. Apparently sweat can cause this reaction.

Best:

• These metals are A-OK: Titanium, gun metals, and Niobium 
• Several non metals are good too if you have large gauge holes: wood, amber, porcelain, bones, gems, glass, and certain non-leaching plastics. These all need to be cleaned more thoroughly though because of the porosity. 

Taa dah!

a pair of sophisticated bohemian earrings created for a a gypsy on a professional day

Some good sources of more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_piercing_materials
http://brilliancefound.wordpress.com/tag/skin-reaction/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewelry_wire_gauge

i heart my camera - a lot a lot

I love taking photos.  I love capturing beauty in a frame.  Weather it is the lighting, the color, or just the moment between people, I think I will never tire.  I try, especially, to find a way to portray the feeling of the day, its warmth or its solitude, whatever it may be. And now that is way more fun with a camera that gives more justice to the vision in my head. Here is a little info on why I chose the Canon G12 camera after ueber researching and also a few links to great photography sites.

I love the low light ability of the camera I got myself last year.  It is almost my one year anniversary of having it.  It is a Canon G12 and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants Single Lens  Reflex quality photos, but a less bulky camera. I decided against the SLRs because although they look impressive, all my favorite photos were created by just happening to have my camera in my pocket or purse at the right time, so I needed something with the same capability and quality, but smaller. It has a great grip, the full ability to adjust settings on knobs instead of menus, and a swivel LCD screen, plus a true site viewer. I wanted a fast camera, great in action shots, low light, zooming in distance and focus close-up.  I waited an extra month for the new one to come out that has HD video as well.  Many do these days.  I love it!  I still need to learn a lot about the manual mode, but the auto mode is wonderful too. I dismissed the preset settings, that come with most every camera these days, to create special effects because they seemed too easy and cheesy to me in the past... but they are starting become a fun tool for me as well. I do enjoy getting to know my tools well.  

More than a few professional photographers have told me that it is their camera of choice as well! If you like something a little smaller and more affordable, I recommend the Canon S95.  I never tried it, but it sounds great in the reviews.  It is essentially the same camera but with no optical view finder, no swivel screen and with menus instead of knobs.  Everyone deserves to have one like this!  As far as an SLR, I think I may have gone with the Nikon D40, if I were to get one.  

My friend at work, Brian, showed me a great site that reviews cameras, which helped me to decide (Ken Rockwell), in addition to investigating tons of reviews to the point of fascinated obsession.  I asked Brian because he has amazing travel and nature photography. (I linked his name to his wonderful desert nature and world travels photography site).  

While I am mentioning other photography sites, you may want to see my freind Chris Coopers' site: ineomons.com.  Many of his photos are from mountain top hikes in the Southwest and were taken with film cameras and developed in his own darkroom. Now he does digital as well.

 I cactus you

ps- Whilst in my phase of researching cameras for weeks and nervously talking Phoenix's ear off about my findings, Phoenix realized that Mead is to Cameras as Phoenix is to Video Games.  He teasingly called my camera 'ping pong', since I said his video games were like ping pong to me- meaning an activity I could play when with friends who have it at their house as their hobby, but that I wouldn't have a table at my house - naively not knowing that was a huge insult.  Oh dear. Well the ping pong days are over now and his games are now more fun to call 'piough pioughs'.- that is the distant sound of video game guns, which he made up :)

Granny's Jewelry

My dad thinks he remembers giving his mom, my granny Lu, this cream porcelain rose bracelet when he was in high school in the 50's, which I will always think of her when I am wearing.  Thank you Aunt Mari for giving this to me.

Here is a picture of a necklace I a recently made in memory of Granny Lulu complete with a small curly haired cherub who has had her fill of icecream and a birds nest for her love of springtime and watching the action outside her window in later years.

A charm I gave my aunt Mari to keep thoughts warm and let her know were all still with Mari in our thoughts as Lulu is with us.

It feels very healing to create and wear jewelry in memory of someone. Thinking of granny Lulu while selecting beads that reminded me of her because of the colors, golds, rosy antiqueness, was like a meditation for creating peace within me.  The little reminders on the charm remind me to "follow my heart", which I feel is a big lesson for valuing life.

I would love to show my close friends a video I created of pictures throughout Lulu's life to one of her favorite composers, Gershwin.  I am glad that the amazing slideshow tools were readily accessible and learn-able for times like this.