Nothing glitters like silver and gold, but for a number of people, silver and gold jewellry might be more sting than bling. What are the risks of putting metal ON, THROUGH or UNDER our skin? As many as 1 in 4 women may have allergic reactions to metals. Areas of skin that are itchy, red and or swollen can indicate an allergic reaction to the metals in jewelry. NICKEL is the most common culprit, if your 14K gold piercing bracelet, necklace or ring is making you itch, its the NICKEL in the gold---not the gold itself---causing the problem. People rarely have a reaction to pure gold (24K) nor to other metals used in fine jewelry such as platinum,titanuim or STERLING SILVER.  Remember: As many as 1 in 4 women may have an allergic reaction to the metal jewelry that passes through their body piercings. BE SMART, if you are going to pierce---use 24K gold, platinum, titanuim or STERLING SILVER---NO NICKEL here. For more information on body piercing, visit safepiercing.org