[SimoneMeyer]

Why is it that gold (18 carats) can contribute to eliminating nickel allergies?
I was thinking that it was perhaps because gold is less reactive than nickel, but I don't exactly know how to explain it more in depth than that.
Does the gold basically neutralize the reaction between the nickel and our skin's acid mantle?

Thank you very much for your time, it is greatly appreciated.

[Mitch]

Gold is so unreactive it doesn't do anything for a nickel allergy.

[dufengtao]

Do you mean that gold is electroplated on the surface of nickel to eliminate the allergy?

[billnotgatez]

Are you talking about alloys of gold

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alloys#Alloys_of_gold

[SimoneMeyer]

This is the exact question:
"Les allergies dermatologiques provoquées par le nickel sont courantes. La sueur humaine à corroder lentement le nickel présent dans les objets qui contiennent du nickel, tels que les bijoux en or de 10 carats. Les ions du nickel qui sont libérés grâce à ce processus peuvent provoquer des irritations de la peau. Porter des bijoux faits de 18 carats d’or peut contribuer à éliminer les allergies au nickel. Explique pourquoi cela est le cas à l’aide de tes connaissances sur la réactivité des métaux et sur la série d’activité."

The part that is highlighted states that wearing jewelery made of 18 carats gold can contribute to eliminating allergies to nickel. Then, it says to explain why making reference to the metal reactivity series.

[DrCMS]

I think the answer is down to the difference in purity of 10 and 18 carat gold.

I do not think 18 carat gold can counter an allergy to nickel rather that 18 carat gold does not contain Nickel and so does not cause an allergy.

[SimoneMeyer]

Okay. So nickel is used in gold to give a white/grey color, so that would probably be the 10 carat one, and that is why it's more prone to giving people allergic reactions? And 18 carat gold would be of a yellow/gold color which would not give someone allergies because it is very pure?