> http://fboga.blogspot.com/
>
>The Sukie's Souk earrings have ear wires that are gold plate over
>surgical steel, so safe for those folks who have nickel allergies.
>YES! YOU CAN BID SAFELY! (Unless asked otherwise my earrings usually
>are all on gold plated surgical steel, or straight surgical steel ear
>wires...

A question arrived from someone with nickel allergies before she bids
about what the plated metal beads are plated upon, so I am letting
others know, too, in case the information helps them and the shelter.
The vast majority of plated metal beads that I use are plated on lead-
free brass. I do look for lead-free notations.

Some of Swarovski's pre-made components may not be gold or silver
plated, but they avoid lead and nickel. I avoid buying the pre-made
third party components that include Swarovski crystals because that can
not be said for all of them, especially ones done to look like antique
silver.

One thing many people who figure that they have trouble with silver,
especially the antiqued kind, don't know is that usually the metal to
which they are reacting is nickel. There is a U.S. marketing law which
allows places to sell certain metal combinations with the marking
"silver" when they simply have silver coloration, so look for things
that include the percentage of silver or are sterling silver if you
don't know from previous experience with the seller that it is
reliable. That's why I stick with places like Firemountain Gems and a
few from Silver Enchantments these days; they have been reputable for
metal content. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_silver to learn
more about what to avoid if you have reacted to such metals.

Those notes are about Sukie's Souk pieces specifically. Others donate
jewelry, too, and they also help shelters and other ferret charities
in that way!

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)

[Posted in FML 6695]