Nickel Release Calculator, EN 1811

What is EN 1811 and why does it apply to body jewelry?

EN 1811:2011+A1:2015 is the European reference test method for measuring nickel release from metal items in prolonged contact with the skin. Under REACH Regulation Annex XVII, Entry 27 (implementing EU Directive 94/27/EC), jewelry inserted into pierced parts of the human body must not release more than 0.2 µg/cm²/week of nickel, as measured by EN 1811.

Other jewelry in prolonged skin contact faces a limit of 0.5 µg/cm²/week. Manufacturers and importers selling into the EU must hold certified EN 1811 test reports to demonstrate compliance.

How does nickel content differ from nickel release rate?

A material can contain significant nickel by mass and still release very little, because a passivation oxide layer on the surface acts as a barrier. 316LVM implant-grade stainless steel contains 10–14% nickel by weight but typically releases only 0.05–0.12 µg/cm²/week under EN 1811 conditions, below the 0.2 limit.

Conversely, nickel silver (which contains ~18% Ni) releases 3–6 µg/cm²/week because it forms no effective protective oxide. Surface finish, pH, and physical wear all affect the actual release rate from the same alloy.

Which body jewelry materials are completely nickel-free?

Fully nickel-free options for piercing jewelry include: implant-grade titanium alloy (ASTM F136 / Grade 23 Ti-6Al-4V ELI, which contains no nickel by specification), niobium, and polymer materials such as BioFlex® (PP-R) and PTFE.

For metal jewelry, palladium-based white gold is nickel-free (unlike traditional nickel-white gold alloys).

Yellow and rose gold alloys at 14k and 18k are typically alloyed with copper, silver, and zinc, not nickel, but alloy composition varies by manufacturer. Always request a material certificate. For patients with confirmed nickel sensitisation, polymer retainers such as BioFlex® are the safest choice.

If stainless steel contains nickel, why does properly passivated steel jewelry cause fewer reactions than some low-nickel alternatives?

It is about release rate, not raw content. 316L and 316LVM contain 10 to 14 percent nickel, but that nickel is locked into a stable austenitic crystal structure rather than sitting free on the surface.

Passivation, treating the steel with nitric or citric acid, grows a tight chromium-oxide layer that blocks the metal from leaching. Well-passivated implant steel releases under 0.1 micrograms per square centimeter per week, comfortably inside the EN 1811 general limit of 0.5 and even the stricter 0.2 limit for post-piercing contact.

A cheaper alloy marketed as low-nickel but poorly finished can actually release more. That is exactly why I treat "nickel-free" marketing with suspicion and look at the EN 1811 figure instead.